Mercy
by graceh
Summary: Post CROD. Captured by Azula, a hopeless Katara is tortured and used as bait for the Avatar. Prince Zuko, having sided with the Fire Nation, struggles with what honor really means. The two form an unlikely partnership while looking for a way out.
1. Chapter 1

_**Background Info:**_

_**Everything up to the end of The Crossroads of Destiny is the same. Right now we have Katara, Aang, Zuko, Azula, Iroh, and the Dai Li duking it out in the Crystal Catacombs. Zuko has sided with Azula, and Iroh has been encased in the rock by the Dai Li.**_

The caverns under Ba Sing Se glowed green; then red, then blue.

Lightning crackled off the walls and pools of water covered the stone. Dai Li kept emerging from ever-forming openings in the walls, out for easy blood. It was blindingly clear Aang and Katara were outnumbered; one waterbender and one exhausted Avatar fighting two strong firebenders and hordes of Dai Li was not an even fight.

They may have been holding their own now, but it would not stay that way.

A wide sweep of water knocked the nearest fighters to their knees, but there were always more. Always, always more. Azula was laughing maniacally-she had gone _insane-_and Zuko seemed ready to annihilate anything that moved.

The pair stood across from her, one waving whips of silvery lightening and the other branding daggers of fire.

Zuko. He was what really made her angry. _That traitor! What was I thinking! I was this close to forgiving him...healing him, for La's sake...and...and...ugh! He turns around and screws with us._

Just a few minutes earlier the two had been having a moment. She...she had almost healed his scar. Trusted him. They had talked about their mothers. He had been...sympathetic. But then...

A punch of fire near her head brought her back to the present.

Aang and Azula started circling each other, fighters in a deadly match. He lightly dodged the streams of fire that raced towards him, but Katara could tell he was tiring. The girl's attacks grew more and more obnoxious, taking advantage of the Avatar's lack of strength. And of course, Zuko and the Dai Li seemed very intent on keeping her from running to Aang's aid.

Her efforts obviously weren't working. Water whips and ice, normally very effective weapons, were failing and leaving her feeling powerless. Frustrated. Weak.

When trying to save the world, weakness was not an option.

Hot surges of anger powered Katara to gather up the water around her into a sphere. It formed larger and larger, filled with the colors of anger and fear. She was going to make them pay. She raised her hands high above her head, preparing to knock the agents into tomorrow.

She heard Aang's cry as Azula did something undoubtedly hideous (she was concentrating, she couldn't exactly see what, but she just _knew_) and that gave her the courage to decide that she was ending this thing right here, right now.

All of her focus went to the ball of water. Out of the corner of her eye she saw Azula turn and grin. Her hands went up, cradling a ball of white fire. One hand stretched out-Zuko and the Dai Li had stopped to watch-and a shock ripped through the air.

Katara knew exactly what was happening before it actually happened. She could almost feel the electric shock, smell the burning flesh, hear her screams of pain before they became a reality.

Everything slowed down, waiting, before jolting into the future. She was able to take everything in, capture this moment and hold it in her memory, for she knew it would be her last.

The lightning arced through the air, making everything painfully bright and clear. Her mouth formed a scream that never came. Water rained down around her, shards of glass glinting from the light. A breath was lost in her throat; the lighting hit and she was on fire, _oh dear heavens, _it filled her veins with a rush of ice and she flew, soared through the air and hit the cold stone. Pain snaked from her left arm down to her right foot; her body jerked and convulsed and the darkness closed in...

_So this is anger, _Aang thought. _This is rage. This is hate._

Azula had just hit Katara with lightning. His wonderful Katara was now lying on the ground, passed out and hurt and maybe even dead. This did not sit well with him.

_Come on, Avatar State. Now would be a great time to kick in..._

He focused on his emotions and waited for the overwhelming strength that accompanied the Avatar State. The familiar rush of heat and power, the moment when the force of a thousand spirits filled him to the top. When an unseen voice told him what to do, when he was absolutely in control. He waited for it to take over and make him strong.

It never did.

He tried to get closer to Katara-he had to protect her, no matter what-but the hordes of Dai Li and two very angry firebenders were making it hard. The agents kept coming out of the tunnels, surrounding him. He fired a shot at Zuko only to block an attack from Azula. Fists of earth came at him from all sides.

Aang was severely outnumbered. And everyone in the caverns knew it.

_At least get to Katara, _he thought. _At least do that. Make sure she's okay._

He was getting so close. But he was getting so tired. Numb. Fire brushed his skin; he barely noticed. Katara's beaten body was laying still on the ground. Her hair splayed out and covered her face; her waterskin had burst; her dress was muddied and ripped. If not for the faint rise and fall of her back Aang would have thought her dead.

A blast of fire hit right at his feet; he jumped back. In his efforts he had ended up near where Iroh was chained in the rock. The old man was frantically shaking his head.

"Aang, you are outnumbered. You will not win this fight. Please, leave now. You won't make it if you stay."

An agent ran up and threw up his hands to shoot a block of stone at the two of them, but Iroh opened his mouth and fire spurted out, causing the man to stumble and curse. Aang bended a wall of glowing crystal around him and Iroh, trying to give them some cover.

"I can't leave her, she'll be killed-"

"And you will be too if you stay!"

"You are crazy! I can't leave now! I need to save her!"

And with that he bent back the walls, only to find that Katara was surrounded by the Dai Li. Azula stood at the forefront, sporting a taunting grin. Zuko stood next to her, looking strangely calm.

Or was it brainwashed?

He started charging forward, but was yet again stopped by Iroh's fire.

Eyebrows raised, Azula stood tall, hands on her hips and lips curved to a smirk.

"You will not win, Aang! Get back to your friends. That is your only chance," Iroh begged.

"Uncle, be quiet, or we will have you muzzled." Azula grinned,as if this were a pleasant thought.

Aang watched a tiny muscle twitch in Zuko's jaw.

"Are you really going to give up that easily, Aangy?" Azula asked sweetly. "Leave your precious girlfriend in my hands? Or be a man and save her?"

Her voice rose up to a sharp point, daring him.

"So, Avatar, what will it be? Run like a coward or stay here and fight?"

Iroh shot him a pleading look. "Aang..."

He knew he had no chance. So he turned and ran; ran like the coward they said he was.

"That's what I thought," Azula said. "Don't worry...I'll take good care of her."

He ran out through the tunnel, forming a plan. _Find Sokka. Find Toph. They'll know what to do._ It was raining out; his tears mixed with the rain until he couldn't tell what was right in front of him.

The Dai Li chained the limp Katara and dragged her like a rag doll out the tunnels. Iroh followed behind, just ahead of his niece and nephew.

"I think the girl will make excellent bait. Don't you agree?" Azula's voice, too loud, echoed out through the caverns. It was now eerily silent, all traces of a vicious battle vanished.

His nephew gave a small, short nod.

"Although we let the Avatar get away this time, he will come back for his little friend. I'm sure Father will be quiet pleased. We will keep the girl in the palace, so when he comes to save her, he will be right at our fingertips.

I'm sure you'll be glad to get home. Mai has missed you."

Zuko tensed slightly.

"I'm proud of you, Zuko," Azula smiled. "You have made the right choice, joining us. It will only be a short time until we have the Avatar. Father will welcome you back with open arms."

_Oh, Zuko. If only I could have helped you..._

_Where am I?_

Details came into focus one by one. First and foremost was the throbbing, aching pain in her upper left arm-it burned, and she couldn't feel much of anything in that arm besides where her wound was. She knew it was cool; and musty; and damp; and that she was laying on her back on cold metal. She tried to push herself up on her right arm to take a better look. If only she could open her eyes-she was so, so tired. Losing concentration, her arm slipped and she fell back onto the ground. She felt her wound tear open and heard the _drip drip drip _of blood hitting the floor.

She was out cold before she could even open her eyes..

Zuko had spent the better part of the journey back to the Fire Nation alone in his room on the ship. _It _is _a nice ship, _he mused, lying on his bed. _Much nicer than my old one. I just don't really like the people in it._

He seldom talked to any of the other inhabitants aboard. Azula-his own _sister_-had changed so much he barely recognized her. It was scary just being around her. She had wild mood swings; sometimes she was so sugary-sweet that Zuko could taste bile rising in his throat. Other times she flew off into violent rages, burning tapestries or tossing helpless crew members and servants over the sides of the ship. She would then calmly walk away, barking orders like nothing was out of the ordinary.

But even though Zuko didn't like spending time with her, Azula was a means to an end. She had the power to get him back into Ozai's good graces. If putting up with her meant that he would get Father's love back, he would do anything to please her.

Mai was...well...Mai. In the beginning days of the trip she had came to his room to _try_ to talk to him, but he wanted to be alone. Using excuses like, "I'm not feeling well," worked marvelously. Mai had never been the comforting type.

He didn't like Mai as much as he used too. Too much had happened since he'd been exiled to keep them together. Being around her was awkward at best; although they were on the same side, they were very, very different.

Still bubbly and crazy, Ty Lee bounced around the ship. Out of all three girls, Zuko was getting along with her the best. Their conversations often went like this:

"Zuko! Zuko! Heyhowareyou? Theweatherisbeautiful! Wasn'tlunchgreat?Ohlookthere'sAzula!Gottago! Bye!"

He often wondered how she could live with two pessimistic girls like Azula and Mai, surrounded by all this pain and misery.

He mostly wanted to see Uncle. Although a small, nagging part of him said that he should apologize, Zuko just wanted to tell him that he was doing what he had to do, and couldn't he be happy for him? He was coming home after two years! This is what he's wanted! Dreamed of!

He would finally-_finally-_be back home. Iroh should be excited for him. This is what he wanted.

_This is what I want._

_Right?_

_Right?_

_Where am I?_

She knew she was alone; her breath was the only sound she heard. Voices floated by, so quickly she didn't know if they had even been there in the first place. Hallucinations swam before her eyes, so very real she could have sworn that Momo or Toph were sitting right in front of her. Pain came in sweeps-nausea, cramps, burning in her wound. She hoped it wasn't getting infected. More than once someone came and forced a spoon to her lips. At first she resisted, but she found that whatever the spoon contained made her pass out and unable to move. Or think. And that was what she wanted.

Her stomach rolled-she had not eaten anything since the day of the fight, and who knew how long ago _that _was. She had taken the last dose of the liquid about a half hour ago, but it could've been an hour, or two, or a whole day. Time was a slippery thing, falling through her fingers like the sand in the Desert.

"_A Giant Friendly Mushroom Cloud! Maybe it's friendly!" Sokka exclaimed. _She could feel the heat of that day; the harsh wind blowing the grains into her eyes.

As if he had hear his name called from the memory, Sokka appeared before her. But something was wrong...his eyes were blue. His whole body was blue.

And when he spoke, she heard her mothers voice.

"Katara, I want...I want to tell you...that I..."

_What, Mama? What, tell me please?_

Startled by her thoughts, Sokka (or was it her mom?) faded away.

_What is happening...Am I going crazy?..._Her vision swirled around her and it felt like she was drowning. The air grew heavy, wrapping around her heart and suffocating her. Her gut churned-the drug wrecked havoc on an empty stomach.

She blacked out in a puddle of her own vomit.

Aang ran as fast as he could. His heartbeat pumped out-_find them, find them, find them, find them. _His main goal was to get to Toph and Sokka. They would know what to do.

They would know what to do. They could save her.

Right?

Right?

_Where am I?_

Katara knew she was on a ship-she could tell by the rhythmic rocking that made her want to fall asleep. She knew there were thick chains on each of her wrists. She was awake enough to open her eyes-and what she saw didn't please her. It was a small cell, with one wall of solid iron and the remaining three were made of sturdy bars. One side had a door in the middle, with a slot she supposed that food came in.

Only no food had come through the slot. She was hungry.

It hit her at once-_the blinding pain of lightning, Azula's evil laugh. "The girl will make excellent bait"-slumping to the ground, Aang's enraged cry, remorse in Zuko's eyes._

_I am prisoner on Azula's ship. That is where I am._

She passed out before she could even scream.

_**Please review!**_


	2. Chapter 2

_**Disclaimer: I do not own Avatar: The Last Airbender or any of it's characters. **_

_**This chapter is dedicated to everyone who has reviewed **_**Mercy ****_so far. I am so elated every time I see a review. It honestly makes my day. Thank you all so much-your encouragement keeps me going._**

_I never knew the Fire Nation was this big. _

From his position on the bow of the ship, Zuko could see the thousands of people gathered along the docks. Today was the day their ship docked in the main harbor; it would only be a short palanquin ride to the Palace. Red flags waved from the tops of buildings as people jumped and shouted for their arrival.

It was very hot out; the sun burned bright overhead and the sky was a deep blue. But on the edges fringed thunderclouds, dark and foreboding.

"I hope our welcome doesn't get rained out, brother." Azula strutted up next to him, a cat-like grin splitting her face.

"That would be...unfortunate," Zuko quietly agreed.

"I've heard it will be a very grand affair. A feast and all. Father will be so happy to have you home-he knows that the Avatar is short in coming now. Look at our people, Zuko...it's obvious you made the right decision. Don't you think?"

Zuko opened his mouth the reply, but the only sound that came out was a loud screech of metal on metal.

"Well, it look like we're docked. Li and Lo will be announcing us in three hours. Be ready on the upper balcony in your armor...you have a new set in your room. The feast will follow." She turned and left, striding across the deck and down the ramp into an awaiting palanquin.

He followed, slowly at first. This was all so new, even though he had grown up amidst this lifestyle. From the abundance of red and gold, the blistering heat, the soldiers milling around at every turn in their white faceplates...it was all so distinctly Fire Nation. It brought back many memories, mostly bad.

A wave of nervousness hit him as he stepped off the ramp. He was _back. _And he would be seeing his father for the first time since his exile. His palms went clammy and his throat tightened.

He stepped into the palanquin, but had to grab onto the side to keep from falling on his weak knees. The familiar scent of his home-thick, dank smog, bodies sweaty from the heat, fear-made him gag.

He sat down hard on the seat. His hands ran over the rich red velvet. He couldn't remember the last time he felt velvet.

Once in, Zuko held the cloth door open so he could watch the remaining passengers exit the ship.

There was the expected mis of servants, crew, and guards, but the last group to exit floored him.

Iroh, head held high, walked down the ramp, chained between four soldiers. The Water Tribe girl, apparently passed out, was being drug along by her hands. Both their clothes were dirty and torn, and the girl was unnaturally thin and pale. Iroh caught his eye, frowned, and turned away.

Stunned, he let the cloth fall into place, blocking his view and leaving him alone with himself.

Standing in his closet, Zuko slowly put the black gleaming armor on. It was the only thing in his room that was not dusty. He had expected all his things to have been kept clean, waiting for his arrival, but they were covered with a fine layer of dust.

He didn't know what to make of that.

The sun filtered in his window, shining on his new armor. He looked at his reflection in the long mirror and sighed.

He didn't look the same. It was odd looking at his reflection and not seeing the green robes of the Earth Kingdom. The armor was much sharper, and intimidating, and not nearly as comfortable.

He had rummaged through his closet, through all the tiny clothes he used to wear. Before he had been exiled, when he was still a Prince. A time when he was used to servants bowing, and all the red, and knowing nothing but luxury.

He looked at himself in the mirror, at the tall, broad-shouldered boy in front of him. His mind went back to the day he was exiled, looking in this mirror for the last time while servants had hurriedly packed his clothes and possessions.

_Things have changed..._

He blinked, and the memory vanished.

He fashioned his hair into the customary top knot, shut the door to his room, and walked off to the upper balcony.

"Welcome, great citizens of the Fire Nation! Today is a glorious day for our nation!"

A great cheer rose up from the crowd standing below.

"Your Princess, Azula, conquered the city of Ba Sing Se and took control of the Dai Li. The agents went to the walls of the city and brought them down! With the walls in our command, our brave soldiers stormed in and secured the city! Ba Sing Se has fallen!"

The crowd roared.

"While in Ba Sing Se, Princess Azula met up with her brother, Prince Zuko. Together they fought the Avatar, and gained a powerful weapon-the Avatar's Water Tribe Ally! The girl will play a major role in the glorious capture of the Avatar. She will lure him here, and we will have the Avatar right where we want him-within easy reach of our military and firepower!

The day of the Avatar's capture is close at hand! So we welcome our heroes back with much honor for devising this masterful plan. The Avatar shall too fall!

We welcome your Princess, Azula!"

Azula emerged, regal and poised, and took her place at the balcony's railing. She smirked down at her people as they cheered for her.

"And after three long years...your Prince, Zuko!"

Li and Lo slipped back into the shadows.

Zuko slowly walked up and looked out over the throng of people down below. They were wildly cheering...for _him! _They were cheering for him, their Prince. He was their Prince.

_Yes, they are cheering, but are they really cheering for you? Or are they cheering because they believe that the Avatar will soon be captured, and that the Fire Nation will then have total control?_

_Are they cheering because they believe that one day, because of you, the Fire Nation will one day reign supreme and totally destroy the other nations? Are they cheering for all the bloodshed you will cause?_

He pushed those thoughts away-this was the day he had been waiting for; he was not going to let anything destroy it.

With one last nod, Azula turned from the crowd and glided back into the doorway.

Without a second thought, Zuko followed.

The guard tossed the girl roughly into a cell below the palace. From the adjoining cell Shai-Li watched and wondered. The girl couldn't be older than her early teens, and looked to be of the Water Tribe with her tanned skin and blue clothing.

She appeared to be unconscious-she slumped to the floor and did not move. The door to her cell banged shut and locked with an empty _click._

"Hey, Princess...have fun with your new visitor. She'll be in here quite a while," the guard smirked.

Shai-Li did not respond.

It was rare for a girl to be here-usually girl prisoners were given to the guards for their...amusement. She wondered who the girl was and what warranted this special treatment.

She would talk to this girl when she woke up...it had been several years since she had a real conversation. She had been in jail for about five years. Alone, with only leery male guards for company.

If the Fire Nation was true to their word, she would be in here for the rest of her life. She would never be getting out.

From the outside, the feast looked like a glamorous welcome home from the Fire Lord Ozai to his much loved son. Food seemed to stretch on for miles; roast orange duck and sauteed vegetables; mounds of dark spiced bread and piles of steaming brown rice. Various soups and sauces littered the tables, and strong red wine was the drink of choice.

The palace decorators had outdone themselves- each table was covered in a richly embroidered red and gold cloth, and delicate tapestries hung from the walls. Noblemen sat around the tables, badgering each other about business and trade; their wives sat demurely, waving their fans with a pale white hand and gossiping to one another.

It was a perfect scene of the rich, strong, powerful Fire Nation. This was the culture Zuko had grown up in-he should be used to the lavish finery, the over-indulging luxuries. But after days spent near starvation in the wilderness or seeing children in small villages begging for a meal, he felt guilty about the pile of food on the table.

Zuko was seated at Ozai's right hand, but there was one problem: the Fire Lord wasn't here yet. As customs went, Ozai would enter last, but he was very late. Noblemen anxiously looked around, and the servants were whispering amongst themselves. And to top it off, Azula was in a characteristically bad mood-he suspected it had something to do with her being seated at Ozai's left.

He could practically read her thoughts-_Why am I not at Father's right hand? Does he not know that I, __the glorious most wonderful Azula, could have defeated Ba Sing Se without ZuZu's help? If this does not get fixed, I will burn this table cloth to a crisp! Take that, you horrific piece of cloth!_

Or maybe she wasn't thinking that. He always was bad at impersonatio-

"Announcing, your most honored Fire Lord Ozai!"

Robes billowing, Ozai strode in through the large golden double doors at the end of the hall. He was dressed in a deep red robe, charcoal armor, and a goatee trimmed to a fierce point. It was the first time in three years that Zuko had seen his dad.

It scared him from the tips of his toes to the crown on his head.

Ozai stopped ten feet from his seat. He turned to his audience.

"I welcome you, honored members of the Fire Nation.

We are here today to honor my two children, Princess Azula and Prince Zuko, who defeated Ba Sing Se and will bring down the Avatar. They have done well."

Azula grinned, and everyone applauded lightly.

"They are an example of great loyalty to the nation. Together, we will defeat the Avatar, destroy everyone who stands in our way, and finally take control of the world!"

The clapping was much more intense this time.

Ozai nodded and seemed to glide to his seat. The chair scraped on the floor as he first turned and looked at Azula. He gave her a slight nod. He started to turn to his right and Zuko's heart began racing. _Finally! Finally finally finally!_

It was as if the whole past three years had led up to this moment. Every trial, every pain, every suffering he had gone though was all going to be worth it. Father would look at him, smile, tell him how proud he was of him, and maybe even give him a hug. Time stood still as Ozai met Zuko's eyes.

But his Father...he appeared dead inside. His eyes did not glimmer. He was not even smiling.

"Enjoy your meal, Zuko," he said.

Zuko felt like something had died inside of him. And maybe, something had.

Katara sluggishly lifted one chained arm, then the other. She ached all over. The position she lay in was so uncomfortable-one heavy arm thrown across her chest, a chain biting into her back, and a leg bent up under her. It was as if she had been carelessly tossed into the cell. And she probably had been.

They had been so rough, dragging her across the dock like they had. Now all her legs and backside was scraped and bleeding. Not to mention her arm wound, which was probably getting infected. It burned and itched, but she was too tired to move. She wished she was too tired to think. To feel.

She was about to doze off when she heard a quiet voice.

"Honey, can you hear me?"

Was she hallucinating again? But the voice spoke again, and it was much to real to be a dream.

"Are you okay? I'm not going to hurt you."

Katara groggily opened one eye and peered around before landing on a figure in the cell next to her. It was a woman, with long black hair, pale skin, and gold eyes. She was older-probably early forties-but still beautiful. She was thin and wearing a torn brown shirt and pants, much like the earthbenders she had helped escape from the Fire Nation prison ship. The same outfit sat on the floor of her own cell.

"Mmhmm," Katara choked out. It seemed that her mouth was not working.

"My name is Shai Li. Who...who are you? What is your name?" the woman asked.

To tell or not to tell...I don't want her to know who I am if she's on the wrong side.

Come on. I'm in prison with my arm practically burnt off. I've got nothing to lose.

Coughing and clearing her throat, she rasped out, "Ka...Katara."

"Come here, Katara...let me see your arm. How did you injure it?"

Using all her strength, she dragged her arm over to Shai Li. A thick wall of bars separated them, but Shai Li could still reach her arm. She gingerly touched the skin around Katara's wound. Wincing, Katara gasped-it was still quite sore and tender. Shai Li gave her a mournful look.

"Lightning?"

Katara nodded slowly.

Shai Li shook her head and sighed.

_**Aghh...crappy ending is crappy.**_

_**I will not be updating until next Sunday-I'm sorry! But I will be thinking and writing while I am away. Hopefully I will get a good, solid idea of where this is all gonna go.**_

_**Please review!**_


	3. Chapter 3

_That was it? That's all he is going to say to me?_

Ozai took a sip of his wine, and everyone at the table followed.

Zuko trembled, and peeked at his father out of the corner of his eye. The Fire Lord was taking a bite of his rice- acting like everything was normal, and not as if his son had just returned home after three years.

He had expected more than this, more than a few words of casual small talk. He had expected the broad chasm that had separated them to had been breached, but it remained as wide as before.

Zuko sighed and looked down at his plate. The roast duck and steaming broccoli didn't look so appetizing anymore.

_Aang stumbled blindly through Ba Sing Se, towards the hill outside the city walls. Toph and Sokka would be waiting. His heart thudded in his throat as pain radiated through his soul._

_Surprisingly, there were no guards watching the wall tonight. They must all have been called to the caverns, Aang thought. He shuddered thinking about Katara in there, at the mercy of Zuko and Azula._

_He grabbed his glider, and with a great jump cleared the wall. He flew to the rendezvous point-an old gnarled tree that provided decent cover. Although it was dark out, he could see Toph and Sokka sitting under the tree. _

_The emotions of the night seemed to hit him at once; he crashed down to the ground under the tree crying. Sokka was up immediately, a look of worry on his face when he noticed his sister's absence._

"_Aang...why are you crying? What happened...oh gods, where's Katara?" Panic creeped into his voice._

_He did not answer though his tears._

"_Aang! Where is she?"  
_

"_I'm sorry, Sokka, I'm so sorry...we were fighting Zuko and Azula and Azula shot her with lightning and Iroh told me to leave or else they would get me too and we would have no chance to save her...I'm sorry, Sokka, she was alive though, Iroh said they wouldn't let her die, I'm sorry..."_

_Sokka cursed loudly, started crying, and hurled his boomerang into the tree trunk._

"_How could you? They're going to kill her! You let Katara get captured by Azula! My sister, Aang!"_

_He turned to Aang and glared. His eyes were bright with tears and his face was twisted. Raising his fist, he charged toward Aang._

_But a wall of earth blocked his path. Toph encased Sokka's feet in earth so he could not move._

"_Sokka! Get a hold of yourself! You are not helping! For heavens sake, it was an accident! Would you rather Aang be captured too?" She yelled._

_Sokka lowered his arm and hung his head, tears still streaming down his face._

"_What's done is done, Sokka. Now we need to rescue Katara. They probably are taking her back to the Fire Nati-"_

"Aang, wake up!" Toph said, shaking his shoulder.

Aang shuddered-he had relived telling Sokka and Toph about Katara's capture every night since it had occurred. It was a horrible nightmare to have; he never got enough sleep because of it and would whimper and cry throughout the night.

They were on their way to the Fire Nation; they were flying on Appa to the capital. It had been about a week since they had left Ba Sing Se, but they had to stop often to rest the bison and get more supplies-they had left the Earth Kingdom in a hurry, leaving most of their belongings behind.

Right now they were on a small island outside the Fire Nation mainland. Toph and Sokka had just returned from the market-they went early in the morning to avoid the crowds. They had to dress in Fire Nation garb to blend in-they had stolen some clothing off of a clothes line in order to do so. It made Aang feel guilty, but they were running low on money and would take what they could get, so to speak.

Sokka held a bulging bag-"They were having a sale on fruit, Aang! It was so cheap we were even able to buy a little dried jerky!"-and seemed to be salivating over the thought. It had been a while since they'd had any real food, and to Sokka, any sort of meat was like heaven.

After Sokka's major outburst that first night, he had been silent and moody. It was only recently that he had gone back to being his old self, but moments like these were rare and only happened when he let his guard down. He was usually stoic and determined, focused on a plan to rescue his sister.

"Don't worry, Twinkletoes. I didn't let Snoozles spend all the money. We have some left." Toph said, leaning against a tree and blowing her bangs out of her eyes.

Sokka loaded the sack onto Appa's saddle.

"Hey, buddy," Aang said to the bison. "Is it time to go?"

Appa snorted.

"Yah, we should probably get a move on. That lady at the fruit stand gave me a weird look today. I think she might be on to us," Sokka said, raising his eyebrows.

"Jeez, Snoozles. You look like a burnt tomato in those clothes! Of course she gave you a weird look-"

"Toph, I was so not dressed like a burnt tomato! My clothes look fine, thank you...wait..."

"Haha, Snoozles! Got ya there!"

"Come on, Toph, stop doing that!..."

"Zuko...is the food to your liking?"

The prince jumped; this was the second time his father had spoken to him since he had arrived at the palace.

"Yes, Father, yes, it's very good. Thank you, Father."

The Fire Lord gave him a look that was a cross between _are you crazy? _and _did you forget how to speak?_

"I would like to thank you for your loyalty, Zuko. You did the right thing. Your uncle is a traitor, and he will get what he deserves. Soon we will have the Avatar, and the Fire Nation will have control. You and Azula are playing your parts very well," he said.

_So that's what I am? A pawn?_

Although Ozai's statement should have relieved Zuko, it felt like a whole new burden was placed upon his shoulders.

Shai Li sat and looked at the girl sleeping in the cell. Katara...her name was familiar; she had heard the guards talking about her and that she was a friend of the Avatar.

Her wound looked very bad, and she wished she could help Katara out. The girl slept most of the time, and often had what appeared to be violent nightmares. She would shake and cry out, whimpering about _I thought you had changed _and _How dare you! You have no idea _and_ Maybe you could be free of it..._

She wondered about this girl, and what she dreamed about in her sleep.

That was how the rest of the dinner went- occasional, informal small talk between the Fire Lord and his son.

Zuko carefully spooned the last bit of rice into his mouth, making sure to not spill a drop. Impeccable cleanliness was the standard here, and Zuko was trying very hard to fit back into royal life.

He glanced around the table. Most of the faces here were new, but there were a few he recognized. Chief Physician Kozu, the doctor who had treated his scar; Advisors Chin, Akyo, and Suyun; Head General Tozau, and various sages. Ty Lee, Mai, and her mother sat a couple seats down from Azula.

Zuko didn't know what he was going to do about Mai. She had rarely talked to him, and seemed in a worse mood then ever.

She turned, gave him a nasty glare, and looked away.

Ozai put his glass down, lightly tapping his fork against the side. The table quited. Ozai gave one short nod-"Thank you for coming. I appreciate your loyalty."-and, with an intimidating glance, left.

As custom, the guests left in order of status. Azula stood and Zuko followed. She started walking towards the main doors and beckoned him to come. He had though they would go left, back to their rooms, but she turned right. She kept a strong, steady pace, footsteps ringing out in the quiet halls.

They walked in silence a few minutes before she spoke.

"I assume you have noticed a change in Mai."

"Yes, I have...she has been quieter than usual."

"You mean she did not jump on you the moment you stepped through the door."

"No, that's not what I meant-"

"I do believe she still likes you-why, I still do not know-but her father has been convicted of treason. Apparently, Myung been giving out classified information about the Fire Nation to various members of the Earth Kingdom. He and all those involved will be taking a little vacation to Hai Shong until this all blows over."

Zuko was stunned. "What? What has he been saying? Are Mai and her mother going-"

"Yes. Father wants all Mai's family out of the court and public eye until he gets this taken care of. The details are not necessary- Myung just let his power get to his head. We are sending Advisor Akyo to govern New Ozai until we find a more suitable match. We are telling the public that the Fire Lord is very impressed with Myung's governorship and is giving him a six month vacation. We do not want the people to know it got this far."

"Is Myung going to be...disposed of?"

"No- Father is trying to keep this affair as low key as possible. All it really means is that Mai's family will be gone for several months."

She stopped in front of a large, heavy door. Although it had been years since he had been here-he went when he was seven, when Ozai was showing them around the palace-but he could still recognize it as the door to the prison cells.

"Azula...where are we going?"

"Oh, Zuko, this will be fun. There is someone I would like you to meet."

Katara heard-or maybe felt-the colossal door to the hallway of cells open and shut. It was odd-the guards had just delivered the "food" (more like gruel mixed with a heady mixture of spiciness) and they usually didn't come back in for an hour after that.

Two pairs of footsteps clanged down the corridor and stopped in front of her cell. The door creaked open and the figures stepped inside. This was odd also-the guards never came into the cells, just slid food through the slots in the door.

Katara was beginning to suspect that these were not the guards.

"Well, hello, peasant," a honey sweet voice asked. "So tell me...are you having a pleasant time here? The Fire Nation is known for its hospitality."

_Oh. My. Gods._

Before Katara stood a living nightmare. She shuddered-there was no way this could be happening. Hell had come to visit, and it was in no way hospitable.

"I have a new toy, Zuzu. I told you this would be fun," she purred.

Katara blanched and much to her dismay felt tears rising in her eyes. _Toy? Zuzu...does she mean Zuko? Fun? Oh gods, what is going on-_

Her thoughts were interrupted by a swift kick to her gut.

Her stomach convulsed and she fell back against the wall. Azula left out a high pitched laugh. A gasp came from the cell next to her, and Zuko had to reach out a hand and grab the wall to steady himself.

_See, Zuko? I told you this would be fun._

_**Please review! This is where things start to get dark...you have been warned.**_


	4. Chapter 4

_See, Zuko? I told you this would be fun._

Azula's words echoed in his mind and he had to steady himself against the cold wall.

He had known Azula was evil...but he had never thought she could sink to this level. Torturing the poor girl, kicking and beating her when she was defenseless-it was just not right! He had been under the impression that the waterbender was meant to be kept as bait, and nothing else. This was not what he had imagined when she had said they were going to see someone.

He had harbored a small flame of hope that they were going to see their mother, but that was obviously not the case. He often wondered if she was even still alive.

A low moan escaped from the corner of the cell.

_ _ _ _ _ _

As Azula kicked her again in the stomach, Katara pursed her lips and tried oh so hard not to scream.

It was amazing how Azula could be doing something so cruel, but look as if she was somewhat bored with the activity. Her mouth was set in a small grin, but her eyes betrayed her-they were fiery gold, sparkling with hate. She stood proudly and smiled down at Katara, hands on her hips.

The cell was dark, but Katara could see Zuko's outline against the sconces in the hall.. He had shrunk back against the wall, steadying himself with one hand.

Another kick came again, but was directed at her arm this time-the bad one. A hot surge of pain flooded her body and she gasped, feeling the bile rise in her throat and the world starting to go fuzzy at the corners. She prayed that she would faint, so Azula would go away and she could escape from this nightmare. Her arm burned-the wound has been broken open again. She could feel the blood run down her arm, cold against her inflamed skin.

Her vision started to go black, but she started when she saw a faint orange light glow from Azula's closed fists. The firebender smiled and extended her hand towards Katara.

"I see you are enjoying our welcome, peasant... let me add some of our _famous_ Fire Nation warmth into our greeting. It really leaves a mark on people...doesn't it, Zuko?"

She heard a choking sound coming from Zuko. His eyes widened and one hand unconsciously reached up and touched his face. Katara wondered why he did that, and realized she should be afraid cause Azula's hand _were on fire_ and oh gods what was happening-

A small flame shot forth, much smaller than Katara had expected, but small enough to burn a hole through her dress and blister the skin there. It was enough to make Katara suck in a breath and push herself backwards, away from the pain.

"Oh, that will not do... it would be very rude of you, Katara, to not accept our welcome," Azula grinned.

The minuscule flames kept coming-one to her calf, her foot, her stomach, her shoulder. They were just enough to make her cry but not enough to make her pass out.

Tears rolled down her cheeks and Katara prayed for the mercy she knew she would not be receiving.

_ _ _ _ _ _

Shai Li gasped as she saw what Azula was doing to Katara. How horribly awful...she felt for the girl. The waterbender could only lie there as the firebender burned her, not being strong enough to defend herself.

She could see Katara was trying so hard not to cry out-how could she be so strong? She would only emit a whimper or two, but tears rolled plainly down her cheeks.

Shai Li shuddered o think of how much pain her arm must have, with the wound now bleeding and most likely infected. The burns on her skin looked painful, too- they were turning red and raw.

She watched Zuko in the background, who was clearly shaken and disturbed.

_ _ _ _ _ _

Zuko watched the girl cry, and realized something.

A small voice in the back of his mind told him that maybe coming home wasn't all he had dreamed of. Things weren't going exactly perfect- his near-shunning from Ozai and dealing with a psychotic sister weren't the images of the happy family he had wanted to come home to.

He knew he was entertaining dangerous thoughts- maybe he just wasn't giving it enough time. He had only been here one day and he was already thinking of leaving!

But he knew he wanted to get out of here. The image of the water girl being tortured was almost too much to take. It was too easy to imagine him in that position-what if he had chosen to side with the Avatar? He could easily be the one getting tortured, crying on the cold floor.

He shuddered.

_Better safe than sorry..._

__ _ _ _ _ _ _

_**_ _ _ _ _ _ **_

With one last deciding kick, Azula turned towards the door.

"I believe Zuzu and I shall be leaving now...too much of a good thing _is_ bad for you, peasant."

Katara made a half moaning, half choking sound and shuddered.

She left, tugging a stunned Zuko behind her. The door slammed shut with a heavy clank, echoing out into the now empty hallway.

_ _ _ _ _ _

"Okay, everyone," Sokka whispered. "Here's our plan!"

"Snoozles. We're in the middle of a forest. No one is around to hear us! You don't need to whisper!" an exasperated Toph grumbled.

"Toph, you see those birds over there? The gray ones on that big rock? We're on Fire Nation territory! They could be _enemy birds!_"

An audible smack was produced by the motion of Aang's hand hitting his forehead. Frightened, the birds chirped and flew away, rustling the trees.

"See, you guys? They're probably on their way right now back to the palace to report us! We have to be very careful here-"

A stone hand clamped his mouth shut. Toph and Aang both sighed in relief.

They had made contact with Fire Nation land about two days ago, and were steadily heading towards the palace. It was slow going-they could not fly Appa because of the risk of being sighted; walking was the only option.

Wearing their disguises and talking to ignorant commoners in markets and taverns, they had slowly pieced together Katara's whereabouts and had come up with a plan. Apparently, they were holding her in the palace as 'bait', but this at least meant they would be keeping her alive. They shuddered to think of their Katara in a place like that, surrounded by all those horrific fire benders.

An interesting piece of information Toph had gotten out of one familiar looking cabbage merchant was that the Fire Lord was holding a war counsel in six days, and would be announcing his plan to end the war to the public the day after.

"So the day of the announcement we send Appa out with 'Aang'," Sokka said, making air quotes, "on his back."

Sokka pointed to the stuffed straw dummy with a blue arrow on his forehead leaning against the nearest tree. One of it's eyes drooped down much too low and there was straw sticking out of his ears. It was wearing an orange, much too large womens kimono and pants made out of a worn yellow sack. But it had been carefully crafted, and would hopefully pass as Aang from several hundred feet away.

"So Appa flies by the palace, right were everyone is standing. We make sure they can see the dummy on his back. Appa lands in the forest, leading all the soldiers to him. He shakes the dummy off and flies away to safety. Meanwhile, while the soldiers are all distracted, we sweep into the palace, grab Katara, and _bam! _I am a genius!" Sokka shouted proudly, pumping his fist.

"Well...it's the only plan we have now. It'll have to do," Aang sighed.

Toph rested her chin on her hand. "We'll have to be quick. We should probably be inside the palace by the time they are making the announcement- aren't they having a feast? We could pretend-"

"Pretend to be servers! Aang, it'll be just like at that party! Remember? There was that bear! And all that good food-!"

"Yes, Sokka. We know, we know..." Aang said, exasperated. "But we can't spend all our time telling stories. If the announcement is in one week, we need to be at the palace soon so we can really get a plan together! We don't have time to-"

"Jeez, Aang! All you do is is sit and complain about plans and strategy. You have been in a bad mood for the whole trip and it's not helping anyone! All you talk about is how we can save her-" Sokka shouted, clenching his fists and moving towards the airbender.

"Well _you _do nothing but joke around! Don't you care about her? She's your sister! _Your sister is probably in a dungeon somewhere,surrounded by firebenders!-"_

"Aang, how dare you accuse me of not caring! Of course I care! Of course I want to save her! But worrying and obsessing will do us no good! I'm scared as hell for her but I don't have time to freak out! We don't have time to-"

"We don't have time to sit here and listen to you panic! If your so worried, let's just get a move on!" Toph stomped over to Appa and crossed her arms. "We're all tired. It's been a long day and we're all worried about her. But we'll do no good by fighting. If you don't shut up, I will do it for you."

Tensions high, they boarded the bison and set off for the slow walk to the capital.

_ _ _ _ _ _

_Iroh grabbed the rung of his prison cell and angerly shook it. He had been in this pit since they had brought him here on Azula's ship...he had lost track of time. He had been busy._

_One...two...three...four. He pulled himself up again, building his strength. Push ups, pull up, sit ups, running in place-he did all of these daily. He would not waste away in this cell; he would get stronger, and braver, and hopefully freer than he had ever been._

_Sweat dripped down his back as he reached his twentieth pull up. He stretched his senses out into the hallway-he could hear a guard approaching, most likely with his supper._

_He took a deep breath. It was now or never..._

_He heard the click of the key turning in the lock, and before the guard could react, Iroh wrenched the door open and shoved the guard away. The food went flying and the plate hit the guard square in the forehead, effectively knocking him out. This meant that the dish stuck to the guards forehead and did not fall, thus making no noise; Iroh could have laughed at the irony._

_It meant no guards would have heard him break out, and he could hopefully get out of the prison without being noticed. He crept slowly along the hallway, alert for any signs of discovery._

"_Iroh," a quiet voice said._

_He looked over, and in the dim light he could see a dark haired women sitting inside a cell. She had fair skin and gold eyes. Her mouth turned up at the corners as she smiled at him._

_Was it her? Could...could it really be her? But she had vanished so many years ago. He had thought her dead, but here she was._

_He approached the door, wishing he had brought the unconscious guard's keys. One strong arm reached through the bars; she stood and grasped his hand. He looked around for any other opening, for any other way he could get her out. She shook her head._

"_I need to stay, Iroh."_

"_No, I will not let you! I will get you out-"_

"_I am needed here. The girl," she whispered, nodding her head towards the small sleeping being in blue, "needs me."_

_His face fell, joy at seeing her dimming. But he accepted; she had always been very wise and he knew she could take care of herself. And the girl did look pathetic, lying there on the floor. He recognized her-it was the girl who traveled with the Avatar. The waterbender._

_He looked at the woman, and then at the girl. He thought of his nephew, and his niece, and things came together to form a complete circle. One where he had to carve his part, hard as it might be, so that the circle could keep curving round._

"_Promise me something," he gentled, "and I will leave you here." These were hard words to say._

_She nodded._

"_Watch over your...my nephew. Keep him safe, as best as you can. I fear they may be a time when he must go. Make sure he takes the girl with him._

_And you must promise me that as soon as you are not needed here you will leave. Promise me that."_

_She looked him in the eye and squeezed his hand, signing a pact with her eyes._

_He sighed, and dropped her hand. She stood tall and lonely , shadows reflecting on her face. With one last glance over his shoulder, he walked away, into the dark._

__ _ _ _ _ _ _


	5. Chapter 5

"Why, Zuko...what a pleasant surprise." Ozai grinned hugely, as if he had not expected to see his son, who he invited to breakfast, sitting at the breakfast table.

Azula greeted Ozai cordially, but said not a word to Zuko. She shot him a look that said, _What happened yesterday stays between the two of us. Or else._

It was another extravagant feast, even for only the three of them. Quail eggs and various sauces littered the table, surrounded by fresh fruits and juices. Several pot of piping hot tea sat in a row.

"So, Azula, I assume you know of the war meeting I will be having in several days to discuss the course of action for ending the war. I already have a plan lined out, but I feel it will be beneficial to involve the Advisors and Generals. You are invited to attend." He nodded at Azula, who bowed her head in reverence.

"Thank you, Father. I would be honored to attend."

_Wait...what? Where's my invitation?_

The confusion and disappointment must have shown clearly on his face, as Ozai quickly added, "And you too, Zuko. Of course."

A wave of relief swept through him. Pushing out the images of yesterday, Zuko relished the fact of being invited to one of the most important meetings in Fire Nation history. By his own father, no less.

_ _ _ _ _ _

Back in his room, Zuko thought.

News had just came in about Iroh's disappearance. It didn't really surprise him-his uncle was incredibly determined and ambitious. It was only natural that he would escape; he would not be enslaved for long. He would not let the Fire Nation hold him imprisoned. He had endured enough of that in his younger years, surviving through his family, and Zuko knew he would get out.

But it was what Iroh was going to do now that confused him. What his plans would be, were he would go. There was a hollow feeling in his stomach that wanted to be with Iroh, to hear his comforting words and have someone who listened. It seemed that Iroh had been more of a father-

No. He could not let himself think that thought.

So he switched to the topic of the girl and what had happened yesterday. The images shot through his mind; her lying destroyed on the cold floor, Azula's intense lightning, the sour smell of pain and fear. It was horrible. It was not right.

He thought about that night, when he was close with her under the catacombs. When the green light made everything somewhat fuzzy; when her hand, warm and soft, cradled his cheek. When her thumb brushed his lips, gentle, and when she stood so close to him and stared at him with those big blue eyes, beautiful and pleading for him to save her. He had been so close to pulling her in for a hug, to snuggling his head into her shoulder and breathing her in. He would have turned up her chin and wonderfully slowly kissed her, an arm sliding around her waist and one fisting in her hair.

He sighed, reveling in the memory. Yes, it was far-fetched, but it could work...

But then it had happened, quick as a flash. They had been torn apart, thrust into a chasm of uncertainty and shades of gray. Now he could not help her.

This wasn't honor. This was cowardice! He moaned and clenched his hand into tight fists. He hated this feeling of helplessness.

He thought of her bleeding on the floor. Crying and thin, little burns all over her tan skin. It pained him to think of her, wasting away...

A flash of deep blue caught his eye; a corner of white poked out of his bag, morphing into the shape of a mask.

_Maybe there is a way I could help you..._

__ _ _ _ _ _ _

Katara breathed slowly, deeply.

In, out. In, out.

The cell air still smelled of oldness and staleness, of dankness and darkness. The dim light still burned from the sconce in the hallway; the guards still walked heavily back and forth. They had not yet served her food since that first day. Her stomach churned, protesting against this injustice.

It was hard to believe that it was all still the same after what had just happened. It seemed like it should smell of pain and blood, and the fire should not be lit at all.

She had held out the faint notion of hope that Zuko might save her. That he might be her knight, turn from Azula and carry her off. That he would be good. But after the horrific scene of her beating, Zuko turning good seemed a very faint possibility.

Shai Li was sleeping; Katara had noticed she was very afraid of Azula and Zuko. She had shrunk way, way back into the cell when they appeared-well, who wouldn't?-and her breathing quickened unnaturally. But they had not noticed her; apparently, she was too lowly to be worth noticing.

A gentle sound of a key being turned invaded her ears. She shrunk back, wondering where the figure had come from. There had been no sounding of footsteps, no breathing or rustle of cloth.

She saw the figure was not wearing the standard hulking armor of the guards, but rather soft gray cloth, with two swords strapped across his back. It made him-she assumed it was a man, with broad shoulders and straight back-less intimidating. He fumbled with the door and slowly opened it; she backed away further.

His swords and face had scared her. It was dark blue with lines of white, set in a scary smile. She could tell it was a mask, and wondered who it was. Was it someone coming to save her? Maybe Sokka? Or was it someone coming to attack-

He tiptoed inside the cell and shut the door.

Katara felt her breathing quicken and heart start to race as the figure moved toward her in the cell, noiseless. He dropped to the floor in a heartbeat, and rummaged through a bag that emerged from his back. It was obvious he was not intent to hurt her; he moved slowly and cautiously, stopping often to turn towards her and check her. He made no move to attack, and nodded when she relaxed and leaned back against the wall.

The smell hit her before she saw the treasure in his hands. Warm, soft bread; spicy soup from a round container; a noodle wrapped around steaming vegetables; a bowl of rice. He spread out these across the floor and motioned to her to eat.

It looked like heaven. The guards had been rarely feeding her, but even with Shai Li sharing what she could, they both still went hungry. The food they served was very lacking in any nourishment, usually just cold rice with bits of egg or vegetables mixed in. This feast the stranger had brought entrusted her to him immediately; anyone who brought her this gift was her friend.

He took a bite of everything, showing her it was not poisoned. But she did not care; food was food. If this was her last meal, so be it. At least she would die with a full stomach.

She crawled to her knees to the food, pinching of a bite of bread. It was still warm, and smelled of herbs and spice. The soup was full and rich-she could not describe the flavor, something nutty and earthy, almost too rich for her virgin taste buds. A buttery noodle melted on her tongue, vegetables tender and moist. Rice softened the flavors of the meal, and tasted somewhat of oranges, a surprisingly tasty combination.

She barely noticed the man looking carefully over her, leaning back on his knees. His posture was calm and satisfied, but his shoulders tense. She paused from her meal as he dug something else out of his bag, and waited in anticipation. She felt attached to him, to the man who brought her food. She trusted him.

In his hands he held a small glass jay, full of a yellowish mixture. He stood and moved over to her, bending down. She only shrunk back a little, an involuntary reaction to someone being so near.

He gingerly took her bad arm in his black gloved hand. She hissed-it hurt, badly-but with nimble fingers he scooped some minty mixture out and rubbed it on the wound. Pulling away, she fought, but he held her tight and rubbed it in. The pain was blinding; pressure shooting through her arm and into her head. She felt tears slip out, but the stranger man tenderly wiped the wetness away.

The throbbing started to soothe. The medicine he had applied cooled her inflamed skin, and she relaxed against his arm. She noticed her he held her close for just a short second, and then carefully stood, gathering his things.

As soon as he came, he left, quietly moving through the hall. She sighed and slumped back, but with a belly full and her arm healing. She wondered briefly if she would see him again.

From the way he had held her, she guessed the answer was yes.

_ _ _ _ _ _

_**_ _ _ _ _ _ **_

"Shh, Sokka! Quiet! Someone's over there, there in the clearing!" Toph pointed straight ahead, past several tall maples and oaks.

Said warrior, in the middle of a not-so-funny joke, paused and reached for his weapon.

They became perfectly quiet and still, listening carefully. Voices began to filter through the trees, mixing with bird calls and the breeze. Deep and male, they seemed to be just on the other side of the forest edge.

"...attack...Fire Nation...announcement...eclipse..."

A decidedly female voice piped up: "...travel...food...more...clothing..."

Eyes wide, Sokka dropped to his knees. His boomerang dropped from his hands, landing with a thud on the ground.

He recognized that voice.

Breathing hard, he murmured one word. One little, near-indecipherable word.

"...Suki."

And he was off with a run, barreling though the trees and into the hands of the enemy, a knight in shining armor off the rescue the damsel in distress.

Aang gasped. "Sokka, no! No, get back! We don't know who these people are-"

"Oh, shut it, Twinkletoes," Toph laughed. "I think we know who these people are."

_ _ _ _ _ _

Skidding to a stop in the enemy's camp, Sokka raised his boomerang and shouted.

"I'm here for you, Suki! Unhand her, you filthy firebenders-"

But these were not firebenders; these were people dressed in blues and greens, some tanned, some not. Some had blue eyes; others had green or brown. Definitely not firebenders.

A cry rose up from the group, but one word, one tall, broad shouldered man dressed in blue stuck out.

"Sokka!" The man cried, opening his arms and running towards him.

And before he could control himself, Sokka was running into this man's arms, into the embrace of a man he had not seen for several years. Since the day he had stood on the ice and watched the ships sail away, off into the war.

This man had a name. Sokka called him Dad.

_ _ _ _ _

They sat around a small campfire, eating rice and laughing. Aang and Toph had emerged from the forest quickly after calls from their old friends.

They were all there; Bato, Hakoda, Teo, The Mechanist, Tyro, Haru, The Duke, Tho and Hue, The Boulder, Suki, and many more. They had sent out a call, asking for their friends to come and serve. It was a mystery how they were all there-no real explanation but fate.

But someone was missing.

"Sokka...where's Katara?" Hakoda looked around, worried.

It was like a candle blown out; the happiness on everyone's face vanished.

The boy sighed and hung his head.

"Oh, Dad...about that...um-"

Toph stepped in. "Katara was captured by the Fire Nation at Ba Sing Se-"

Here Hakoda stumbled forward, grabbing Bato's shoulder and moaning.

"-Azula took her prisoner and they're using her as bait."

"We...we thought those were just rumors..." Paling, Hakoda shook his head. He bent forward for just a second before standing straight, anger on his face. In a scarily quiet voice he asked, "Sokka...how could you? All I asked you to do was keep her safe and now she's captured-"

"Well, maybe this wouldn't have happened if you hadn't left, Dad! Maybe if you had stayed, I would have had someone to look up to instead of being alone-"

Bato stepped between the father and son, holding a hand between them.

"Stop this," he stilled. "This is not the time or place for arguments. There are things we need to do, and fighting is not one of them."

The camp was eerily quiet for a moment, as the man and boy stared at each other. With a short nod, Hakoda placed a hand on his son's shoulder. His eyes were full of pain and grief, of an oldness that came only with war. He stepped back, and returned to his seat. Sokka stood for a moment alone, then straightened his shoulders and marched back.

Someone coughed and sliced the tension. A wave of nervous fear and relief sighed through the camp; they rolled their necks and ate a little more rice.

"But we have a plan." Strong, Aang stepped forward. "On the day of the announcement-you do know what that is, right?" They nodded. "We have a dummy that looks like me to trick the soldiers with, and we plan to fly it away after the men get a good look and think it's me. Then, with them gone, we can run in and get Katara."

"Well, there goes the eclipse plan..." Teo held his head in his hands.

"The eclipse plan?" Voice thick, Sokka trembled.

"You mean...you mean you don't know?" Suki stared at Sokka.

"No, Suki, I obviously don't know. I obviously have no clue!" He stood up quickly, knocking over his rice.

"Sokka! Calm down. We're all confused and upset here. We can't let this anger destroy our plans, no matter what they are." Toph stomped her foot, hard, on the ground, causing bowls to shudder and a cup of water spill onto Sokka's foot. He sighed, shaking the water off.

"The eclipse is in about six days-the same day as the announcement. It is a period of time when the moon blocks the sun, cutting off the firebenders' power. The eclipse will take place before the announcement, as the end of the eclipse makes firebenders extremely strong and the Fire Lord wants to have the announcement while his nation is most powerful. We plan to invade then, while they can't fight back, and hopefully kill the Fire Lord. We want to use the eclipse to invade the palace, and then have a mass attack on Ozai with the time we have left," Suki explained.

"Although he will be extremely powerful, we hope he will be occupied with the announcement details and won't be focused. Now that you guys have joined, we should surely be able to bring him down," Haru added.

Aang nodded. "So...how long is the eclipse? A couple of hours? The whole day?"

The ones who knew the answer shifted in their seats, wondering who would be the one to reveal the news.

"Umm...not quite," Teo's father laughed anxiously. "More like eight minutes."

Sucking in a long breath, the airbender held his head in his hands.

"But I think there's something we need to do during that time," Hakoda said, fire in his eyes. "The firebenders will be completely unable to fight back unless it is in hand-to-hand combat. If we invade the palace before the eclipse, we could get Katara out while they can't bend." Excited, he stood. "We then get her out before anyone notices, as everyone will be preoccupied with the announcement."

Hope seemed to settle lightly on the group, as would the heat of a sunset or changing of seasons. It was there before you knew it, and then, after it had come, you couldn't remember how cold it had been in the first place.

"It's like our old plan, but the eclipse adds a whole new level," Sokka mused. "I like it."

He looked his father in the eye and gave a small smile. Hakoda nodded back. That was all it took; their sins were atoned for, mercy dished out. Now they would work together, as the most important woman in their lives hung in the balance.

They went about their evening, planning and discussing, laughing and sharing. They caught everyone up on how they all knew each other; who would have thought that Tyro and The Mechanist grew up in the same village or that Haru's favorite Earth Rumble participant was The Boulder? It was a small world, after all, and they shared their stories late into the night.

Well after sunset they began to slowly drift off, one by one. Suki fell asleep in Sokka's arms, Toph leaned against a tree, Aang curled up on Appa, and the others laid out sleeping bags and mats.

Although there was a sense of tension and anxiousness flowing through the group, they were still happy at the simple fact of seeing old friends and coming up with a new plan.

_ _ _ _ _ _

_Dear Mai,_

_Things are going well here. We are making progress with the Watertribe girl, and plans for the announcement are going smoothly. I am sorry you cannot be here, but you know how Father is._

_ZuZu is same as always-weak and a pushover. I don't yet see why you like him,but he has caused no trouble so far, so I won't get rid of him. He might still be here when you get back if he doesn't get on Father or I's nerves._

_Please keep an eye out for any news of our uncle. He has vanished once again. Hopefully this time he will just die out in the forest-he is a little old man, after all-but one can never be too careful._

_I believe Ty Lee may be coming to visit you soon. Father said it would be allowed, and there is a circus or something she wishes to attend. Try to keep her occupied, as she takes up too much trouble here._

_Sincerely,_

_Princess Azula_

__ _ _ _ _ _ _


	6. Interlude

Katara laid still, breathing heavily. Pain raced through her spine, and she cringed as she felt blood slowly dripping down.

Azula and Zuko had been back.

They had arrived the usual way, with Azula laughing and talking and Zuko hanging back like a statue. Azula hadn't been as cruel as last time-"I'm in a good mood, today, lucky peasant!"-but there was still a lot of pain involved.

She had removed from her armor a thin whip, made of a light steel and a tapered, sharp end. It was pretty to look at-it glinted off the firelight, casting glimmers around the room-but the first touch upon her back was enough to make her shriek.

They had thankfully left her clothes on, but the whip broke through the cloth and bit her skin. Azula was skilled at this instrument, flicking her wrist and snapping the whip across her back. Katara tried to muffle her sobs and moans, but she failed miserably, earning more cackles from the princess.

They were gone almost as quickly as they came; she had only been whipped three times when Zuko said something about needing talk to Father about the war meeting. Azula had sighed-"Very well, then."-and they left.

Azula had walked out first, with Zuko tailing her. He had turned and gave her a look full of so much sympathy and sadness Katara felt her heart squeeze with a strange feeling.

She couldn't quite name it...

_ _ _ _ _

Zuko slipped into her cell again that night.

He knew exactly how to do it-slip in right as the guards were changing shifts. He normally would have been appalled at the lack of security from the guards, but now he was thankful.

In his pack he had the usual-salve for her burns, food hot from the kitchen. Tonight he had added bandages and medicine; his days as a soldier had indeed taught him something.

On light footsteps he approached the cell door. He quietly pulled it open, unlocking it with his swiped keys. The girl was sleeping, breathing heavily, she was on her stomach and he could see her whip wounds...and tears falling from her eyes. Kneeling down, he carefully wiped them away.

She jerked up with a small cry, hand on his chest pushing him away but knocking her off balance. He easily leaned over and caught her, noticing the sour smell of fresh blood. He righted her, keeping one arm tight round her shoulders, one hand steadying her knee.

Katara's face slowly relaxed as she realized who it was.

"Oh...you're back," she murmured, smiling.

This sent a hot rush of..._something _through Zuko, that someone was happy to see him. She softened in his arms, leaning against his hands.

He carefully started to lay her back, onto her stomach. She nodded at his hesitation, and he layed her fully on the ground before reaching for his pack.

She watched as he dug out bandages, salve, some rags and various medicines. He motioned at her shirt, and she blushed. Did he expect her to take it off? She would certainly not be doing that-

His hands lifted the back of her shirt up very slowly. Then he stopped, and waited.

She realized he would not see anything, only her back and wounds. Sighing, she nodded, looking down at the floor. His warm hands gentled her shirt up, inch by inch. Marveling at the tan, smooth skin, he sighed and brushed his hand along her lower back. He sighed as goosebumps rose up under his touch.

He surveyed her wounds and wrinkled his nose. How could Azula do this to her, to this innocent girl? They were red and bruised, slowly beginning to scar over. Fortunately they were not very deep-they just lacerated the upper portion of her skin. He wetted a rag with some salve and dabbed at her back. She hissed sharply and tensed, but soon relaxed under his gentle touch.

Next came a soothing paste, which would help her wounds heal. They were not big enough to require stitches, but they would take their time to completely scar over.

Holding the bandages in his hands, he wondered whether or not to put them on. There would be hell to pay if Azula found them-but it was dark in the cells, and Katara's shirt would cover them. They would keep her wounds from getting infected and would provide a great deal of comfort to her. He knew which option he would take.

He showed her the bandages, and ever so carefully reached under her belly and pushed her shirt up. Surprisingly, she did not stop him-she took one arm and brought the fabric up farther, just under her breasts. He sighed as his hands whispered along the incredibly velvet skin of her belly.

Wrapping the bandages firmly around, he cinched them tight and tied them. Pulling her shirt back down, he sat her up, between his legs. He removed the food from his bag, unearthing bread, rice, vegetables, and some seasoned fish. He could see the hungry gleam in her eye, but he held up a hand, signaling her to wait.

He reached in and found a small bottle, full of purple liquid. Often called the miracle drug, it was a combination of exotic herbs and flowers. Said to speed healing, ward off infection, strengthen the immune system, and relieve pain. It had been easy enough to get some from the palace physicians-they gave him anything he wanted.

Pouring some medicine into a small spoon, he held it to the girl's lips. She gulped it down and frowned at the sour taste, eyebrows crinkling adorably. He quickly fed her a bite of fish, wondering why his heart was thudding so hard at the simple touch of his gloved fingers on her lips.

Sitting back, he spread the food before her, and watched her eat.

_ _ _ _ _ _

Shai Li watched the boy carefully feed the girl a piece of fish. She could clearly see the blush on the girls face and the way the boy's hands trembled and the way they both ignored the fact that they were blushing and trembling.

She leaned back against the wall and smiled. What a lovely picture they made.

_ _ _ _ _ _

_ _ _ _ _ _

"Thank you all for coming here today," the Fire Lord greeted.

It was the day of the war meeting, and the council room was full of admirals and officers. The walls were draped in rich red velvet, and Zuko had never felt more alone. His heart was high in his throat, clenched tight and strung out.

He sat to the left of his father, with his sister on Ozai's right. The men straightened in their seats at Ozai's voice, and he could see the feral gleam in his fathers' eyes.

"My plan is a great one-I know it will be effective in meeting our goals. The Fire Nation will take control of the world, seizing all resources and land. We will prosper!"

A cheer rose from the room, and the Fire Lord stepped down off the dais and onto the floor.

"As you know, tomorrow is the Day of Black Sun. Although we will not have our bending for eight minutes, we will use this minor inconvenience to our benefit. We have the Avatar's Water Bending teacher captured, in our prison. We have gotten wind that the Avatar will come and try to rescue her during those eight minutes. Although we will not have our bending, our sheer numbers and artillery will be able to stop him."

_Katara, _Zuko thought. _Her name's Katara._

"After we have the Avatar, we will work on gathering our forces for when the Comet arrives. We are preparing for some rebel groups to pop up, but we believe the enemy will disband after their leader is gone. Hopefully, they will peacefully surrender. But in the case they do not, we have a plan."

He lightly walked across the map, and stood in the center of the great ocean.

"We will send one ship of soldiers to the Southern Water Tribe; they are mostly women and children, and will not put up a fight.

To the Northern Water Tribe we will send thirty ships and ten airships. I believe that using the airships we will be able to melt most of their city from the sky, and then attack on foot while they are panicked and confused.

Our main area will be the Earth Kingdom. All the rest of the fleet will be sent there."

He drew lines on the map with his foot, showing where each ship would land and what areas the would focus on.

"Ba Sing Se will be a main target, as will the other major cities. We will focus mainly on urban areas with military power before taking control of the colonies and urban areas.

To make this plan as effective as possible, we will have to be strict. We will show no mercy. Kill anyone who opposes us, anyone who threatens or tries to escape. Demand order and destroy anyone who does not obey. We are taking control of poor peasants-kill however you need to. Take all prisoners to the nearest camp; we will be starting Fire Nation run cities after we have control. We will build factories, and they will work for us.

We will have money and resources, and control of every single thing. It will all be entirely in our power.

The Fire Nation...will rule the world."

With a short nod, he returned to his seat. The room burst into applause, men slowly standing and grinning.

Feeling his throat tighten, Zuko stood along with the others. It scared him how he felt like a traitor-whom was he betraying? It was a question he didn't think he should honestly answer.

His father's planned stunned him. Yes, he had counted on the 'taking over the world' part; this was his father, after all, lusting for power. But he had not planned on this...complete and total carnage! Killing anyone in the way, without mercy! It sent a cold chill racing down his spine, thinking of all the innocents that would be killed.

He thought of Li, and Song, and Jin. The peering, chubby young faces of the Southern Water Tribe, grinning and playing. They would be all gone, every one of them, or subjected to a harsh life under Fire Nation rule.

What would Uncle say? "Do what you know in your heart is right, without any regret." He would urge him to take back his country-there was no way this could happen to the world. It would destroy what little harmony was left, throw everything spinning out of balance into chaos.

This could not happen. Zuko could not let this happen.

The seed of a plan grew in his mind, sprouting in the fresh soil of his changed heart. He left the meeting knowing exactly what he would do.

_ _ _ _ _ _

It was the Day of Black Sun; nervous energy filled the campground. Everyone was alert and tense, stiff shouldered and tight-lipped.

The group had moved to the ocean, ready to board the under-water vessels the Mechanist had built. "Submarines," he had called them, pointing to the gleaming wooden exterior and glass windows. They would be used to sneak all the way up to the palace, before landing and beginning the attack.

They would divide up into two groups; Sokka, Suki, Aang, and Toph would run to the palace and rescue Katara. The others would stay behind and create a diversion, hopefully drawing enough attention to themselves to pave the way for Katara's rescue.

Sokka sighed, rubbing his eyes. There were so many things that could go wrong today-capture by the Fire Nation, injury or death of a team mate, or Katara not getting rescued...How would they know where she would be? How would they get to her? Would she even still be...he couldn't bring himself to think it. The 'what ifs' were innumerable.

Clearing his throat, he stood. He walked over to his father, who was loading the last of the shields into the subs. Under his eyes were dark half-moons, and he noticed the gray slowly edging up his hairline.

"Ready to go, Dad?"

Hakoda set his shoulders and stared of into the east, towards the rising sun. Exhaling a deep breath, he stood and gave the announcement for everyone to board the ships. They rose, quiet, and solemnly entered the vessels.

Last, Sokka sighed, and firmly closed his subs door. It shut with a clank the reverberated through his skull, ringing and ringing...

_ _ _ _ _ _

They did not notice his absence-there was much to do to prepare for the announcement. His father and sister had been scurrying around, hastily shouting out orders. There were robes to be pressed, duck to be roasted, hair to be combed, windows to be polished...the Palace was a flurry of activity, and no one noticed that Zuko had stayed in his room all day.

He was packing; what should he take? A sleeping bag, money, food. A spare of clothes, his mother's portrait. He put them all carefully in a small sack, tying the top carefully. On went the black clothes, tucking the minuscule dagger into his boot and securing his swords to his back. Over them he put his largest red robe, which would hopefully help him blend in. There would be no help for his scar, so he put his hair up into the top knot, securing it with his crown.

He could be Prince Zuko for just a little while longer...

_ _ _ _ _ _

Miraculously, the submersibles had made it to the shore without leaking or sinking. There had been some setbacks-getting through the Gates of Azulon was tough, and sea sickness had made several weak. But now, they had to be strong. There was no time for fear or apprehension.

The distraction force would enter first, creating a diversion during the announcement. Hakoda, who would be leading the attack, called the group together.

"Okay, everyone," he nodded. "We have a big task ahead of us, but we can do it. We need to create a small diversion, just enough to distract the Fire Lord and the soldiers. Then the others can sweep in and get Katara." His voice cracked on that last note, and everyone pretended not to have heard it.

"The Mechanist has designed these small bombs for us." He held one up, a tiny black thing, round and shiny. "They won't cause harm to anyone, but they create a very powerful smell once lit. We are going to dress in Fire Nation clothing-we will easily blend in with all the other commoners. The good thing is that they are lit by snapping this cord. "He pointed to the small brown wick, pointing out from the bomb. "They smolder for about ten minutes before going off. We will need to be fast-get in and out before they go off and we are caught.

After we drop the bombs, we are going to reconvene on a hill, far behind the palace. Hopefully, the others will meet us there with Katara. Your team leader knows what to do."

They handed out the disguises-simple red robes, but with enough variety to distinguish themselves and not look like a group. Some were given head coverings and hats to hide telling eye and hair colors.

Peering out from the hatch, Hakoda surveyed the scene. Barely anyone was here-they must all have been getting ready for the announcement. It was nearly deserted-there were a few guards milling around at the main gate, but they didn't look too threatening.

They pulled the subs around the wall, and carefully stepped out onto the rocks. Edging alone the wall, they hid staying out of the guards view.

"Follow me," whispered Hakoda. "Act like a tourist."

"Excuse me, good sir," He shouted to the nearest guard. "I'm afraid we are lost! We are from the colonies and have never been to the palace before. It is a magnificent city, but we need a little help getting there. We don't want to miss the announcement-"

"Fine, fine," the guard sighed. "They really should have made signs or something! I don't get how people can wind up all the way here at the docks. Follow Horu, he'll take you."

Horu was a short, stocky man with a thick mustache. Shooting the other guard a dirty look, he stalked off, and the group hurried to follow him.

He opened the large gate, golden and black. It swung open before him, revealing the heart of the Fire Nation.

It was a beautiful city, full of life and excitement. Shop owners had cleaned their buildings to perfection, boasting signs of good deals and low prices. People roamed the street, dressed in their finery, loudly talking and laughing. If not for the excess of red, they would have thought this was some happy Earth Kingdom town, celebrating the New Year or some other holiday.

You almost couldn't tell this was a party for announcement of the plan that would destroy the world.

A gong sounded. "Fifteen minutes," Horu muttered, speeding his pace.

_ _ _ _ _ _

Zuko heard the gong sound-fifteen minutes till the announcement.

He stole out of his room, heading towards the balcony where his father would stand for the proclamation. Servants who would normally bowed to him sped by, intent on their last minute preparations.

Upon his arrival at the balcony, he nodded to a couple officials and servants. Word would spread that he had arrived, and he would be off his father and sister's radars.

After a few seconds he turned, scar to the wall. He walked discreetly down the hall, head tilted down. Everyone was much too busy to notice his leave, and he was a prince. He would do what he wanted.

Taking a sharp left, he headed down the nearest flights of stairs, coming to the large, dirty door to the prison. He looked around and saw that the entrance was free of guards. Throwing off his robe, he took his bag and grabbed his blue mask, shoving the robe in its place. Strapping the mask to his head, he carefully swung open the door, heading down the dank hallway.

_ _ _ _ _ _

The moon came, swift and silent, covering the sun. It turned the world an eerie dark; in the sky was a black ball, ringed with a halo of light. The Fire Nation watched with bated breath as their power was sucked away, leaving them vulnerable.

No attack came. The soldiers relaxed. Ozai frowned-where was the Avatar?

As the moon ever-so-slowly unearthed the sun, the Fire Nation heaved a sigh of relief. Their time of defenselessness came and went.

The rest of the world cried out, kissing away their last chance.

_ _ _ _ _ _

"Hello, great people of the Fire Nation." Smiling down over the sea of red, Ozai raised his hands in welcome.

The crowd went wild; thousands of people were there.

"What just happened will never happen again; the Fire Nation will never lie vulnerable again. The time for capture of the Avatar is close at hand, and when we have him, we will have the world!

We plan to put Fire Nation rule over the earth when Sozin's Comet arrives, and grants us its immense power. We will take total control of all people and resources. The Fire Nation will live in prosperity! We will flourish!"

People clapped and shouted.

"Thank you for your support and devotion in this time of-"

In the far right hand corner of the yard, someone coughed. And then another, and then ten more as a smoky fog spread over the crowd.

A series of pops went off; people scrambled, thinking they were under attack. Between the coughing and hysteria, Ozai's voice was quickly drowned out.

"What...what is going on? Soldiers, go and restore order! Now!"

The soldiers ran at the order, running down into the crowd below. But they too were claimed by the coughing sickness, falling to the ground and clutching their throats. More and more soldiers spilled out of the palace, only to fall ill to the same ailment.

Heaving a great roar of fire, Ozai fumed, staring down over his powerful nation rolling on the ground with coughs.

Someone would pay.

_ _ _ _ _ _

Her cell was the eighth on the left; he knew this from memory. Taking the keys he had swiped so long ago, he opened her cell carefully.

His heart jumped at the smile on her face; she was always happy to see him. Grabbing a small piece of bread from his pack, he put it in her open hand.

"Thank you," she murmured, eyes sparkling. Gently picking her up, he surveyed her back and arm wounds. They were healing nicely, the balm working wonders. Pulling a large, dark robe from his bag, he held it out to her. Her current clothing was in shreds, and she needed something...a little more suitable if she would be out in public.

"You want...you want me to put it on?" She tilted her head, a crease forming between her eyes.

He nodded, and turned so he couldn't see her. He heard the soft rustle of fabric slip to the floor, and the contented sigh of silk sliding on skin.

At the hand on his shoulder he turned, thankful to see her up and moving. Putting his pack back on his shoulders, he walked to the cell door. He waved his hand at her, then out the door. She stared, questioningly.

"...What? Are we leaving?" He nodded.

Before he knew it, there was a pair of arms wrapped tightly around his neck. Katara...was hugging him. She pulled back and grinned. "Thank you, thank you..." she murmured. She stepped back and fumbled; he put one hand on her shoulder to steady her.

"Wait," she said, eyebrows furrowing. "My friend...Shai Li? Could you let her out, too? She won't cause any trouble, but she's been here for a long time and has been so nice to me. Could you..."

He glanced into the woman's cell. She was an ordinary looking Fire Nation woman-black hair, gold eyes. Her clothes were tattered, and her eyes were pleading.

He was in a generous mood today-why not? As long as the woman stayed out of his way, he had no problem. She could help him with Katara's wounds, or maybe cook for them. He walked over to her door and opened it. Shai Li quietly emerged, bowing her head in thanks.

He looked at both of them, and pointed down the hall, to the door at the far end. It would lead down a flight of stairs, and after a few twists and turns would lead them out a back entrance.

They took off down the corridor at a fast pace; he had wasted too much time already, and they needed to hurry if they were to get out before the announcement was over.

_ _ _ _ _ _

"Go, go, go!"

Sokka, Suki, Toph and Aang ran through the coughing crown, Aang bending the fumes away from them. They entered the door the soldiers had ran out of, near ground level and hopefully the prison.

"Toph, can you see the cells? A whole lot of metal, probably underneath us?" Sokka panted, looking around anxiously.

Quiet for a long moment, Toph pointed toward the nearest set of stairs. "We need to go down those, and take...take a right. Theres a door...I think thats the one."

They sprinted through the shadows, tumbling down the stairs and yanking open a heavy door. She was right; it led to a long hallway of cells.

But they were empty-every single one.

"No one's here," Suki murmured. "Where are they? Where is everyone-"

"Oh, oh, come here! This cell door is open..."Aang shouted, voice too loud against the cold walls.

Looking inside, they found something they did very much not want to see. A torn blue dress, rumpled carelessly on the ground.

Katara's dress.

"She's...she's not here," Aang whispered, staring horrified at the abandoned cloth.

"Oh no, oh no..." Sokka trembled, falling to his knees.

They were too late. Katara was gone.

_ _ _ _ _ _


	7. Chapter 7

Night fell quickly in the Fire Nation, providing helpful cover as Katara, Shai Li, and the Blue Spirit crept through the forest.

Surprisingly, they had not been caught; the Blue Spirit was a smart man, taking them carefully out of the palace, away from the crowds. He had ran into the forest, and the two women had no other choice but to follow them. He kept a steady pace, one that Katara normally would have no trouble keeping up with; but her wounds were acting up again, and she was feeling quite exhausted.

But she would not complain-this man had risked his life for her, bringing her food and saving her from Azula. If she needed to keep up with him for just one night, she could do that.

They were in a deep forest. Large trees loomed over head, touching the star studded sky. The remnants of a sunset hung in the west, and bat-sparrows flitted through the sky.

Caught up in the scenery, she lost track of her feet, stumbling on a tree root or fallen limb. This would have been a problem if there hadn't been a tree in her path, colliding forcefully with her head.

The last thing she could remember was a flash of blue turning toward her, black gloved hands reaching out, catching...

_ _ _ _ _ _

She woke in a clearing; it was pitch black except for the dim fire, trees casting long shadows on the grass. Shai Li slept, slumped against a tree. The Blue Spirit was sitting, knees pulled up to chest, watching her.

She startled, realizing this. Trying to sit up, she fell back...she was weaker than she thought. Her wounds were aching...she hurt all over.

The man must have seen her movements, as he stood and walked over.

"Sorry," she murmured. She felt bad about slowing them down, but he shook his head and bent down.

His hand was warm, even through the glove, as he prodded her head. There was quite a sizable bump there, which he carefully felt and bent down, looking her in the eyes.

"I'm okay," she said. He shook his head again.

From his pack came a worn black bag, and his hands unearthed bandages, creams, and salves. Cautiously, one hand came to rest on her robe. She noticed there was a new pair of dark red pants and undershirt on her-had he put those on while she was out? She hoped not-although he had seen her in the cell, and had been the perfect gentleman. She trusted him, and gave him a slight nod.

He surveyed her wounds, shoulders sagging. Something akin to a sigh escaped his lips as he grabbed the familiar yellow cream and began to open it.

"Hold on," she said, grabbing his hand. "If you get me some water...I might be able to heal this myself."

And he was up without a seconds thought, grabbing a canteen and walking off into the woods. He returned moments later, with a full container of fresh water that he held out to her.

Bending a thing stream of clear liquid out, Katara went to work on her arm first. Coiling the water around it carefully, she sighed as it began to glow. She then healed her back marks, and her burns, and her foot.

The Blue Spirit watched in amazement as her wounds slowly disappeared and the girl slumped in relief. He carefully stretched out a hand and rested it on the new smooth skin of her arm.

Shaking his head in amazement, he gave the waterbender a once-over before heading back to his spot.

_ _ _ _ _ _

Zuko awoke to the smell of...breakfast?

"Shai Li found a nearby town and bought some stuff." Katara pointed to the pot of potatoes and vegetables cooking over the fire. "Want some?"

He couldn't resist the bowl of hot stew she handed him, and sat down next to the fire. He was so close to pulling his mask off and digging in when a thought crossed his mind.

He would have to take off his mask to eat...and with Katara here, he probably couldn't do that.

It's not that he didn't want her to know who he really was. How would she react, finding out that her worst enemy was her savior? Guilt still remained after not saving her immediately and letting Azula torture her.

And something seemed off about Shai Li. He knew her from somewhere...but where? Could he trust her?

"Oh," she sighed. "Guess you can't eat with that on...you can take it off. I don't care what you look like. You gotta eat."

He stared at her.

"Come on. Want me to turn around? You have to eat something. Don't be stubborn"

Silence.

"...Fine."

He turned, walking off into the forest. Only then did he carefully lift his mask and spoon a bite to his lips.

_ _ _ _ _ _

_**_ _ _ _ _ _ **_

The group stood, dazed. They didn't know quite what to think...they had discovered Katara was gone, possibly in more ways than one. What did they do now?

At least in the beginning they had a glimmer of hope, something to keep them moving forward. But after flinging open the cell door to discover that only her dress remained, their hope had vanished.

They had met up at the tree after the invasion, as planned.

"We have to keep moving forward," Hakoda sighed to the group. He had briefly described what they had found.

Sokka let out a choked sob, staring straight ahead. Suki tried to comfort him, wrapping an arm around his shoulders, but it was as if he was not there-he had not responded to anyone.

Aang sat in stunned silence, tears streaming down his face.

They had failed-Katara was gone, and their chance at doing something worthwhile during the eclipse had came and went. All they had to show were some scraps of blue cloth and a glimmer of hope, slowly dimming.

_ _ _ _ _ _

"I think...I mean, seeing as we don't really have a plan...well, I think we should catch up with my friends. Aang...well, the Avatar, you know...and my brother, Sokka, and our friend Toph and my dad and some others are going to take down the Fire Lord when the comet comes."

Both Shai Li and the Blue Spirit's shoulders stiffened; Katara had no idea why.

"That was our plan before Ba Sing Se...try to gather as many people we could to take down the Fire Lord. I don't know exactly where they are...but they are probably around here somewhere. We had a schedule of places to go to find people...and right now we were going to be here, in the Fire Nation, to find a firebending teacher for Aang."

"So...your friends are somewhere...in the Fire Nation?" Shai Li asked, warily eyeing the young man with his head in his hands.

"Well...yes. Most likely," Katara said, brows furrowing.

Throwing his hands up, the Blue Spirit stalked off, frustration etched in his shoulders. Disappearing every so quietly into the forest, leaving the two women alone.

"What is up with him? Why will he never talk to us? Never eat and barely sleep? He's like a statue!" Katara huffed, leaning back upon a tree.

"I think...he's just confused right now. He has had a hard time lately..." Shai Li trailed off.

"...Wait," Katara stood. "How do _you_ know? Does he talk to you?"

"No," Shai Li admitted, cautiously, "but I think it's time he does."

She turned, walking the same direction the man had disappeared to.

Sighing, Katara through her head back, losing herself in the stars.

_ _ _ _ _ _

Throwing his mask down, Zuko knelt by the stream, splashing his face with cool water.

Life was just so horribly _complicated._

He had not thought out farther beyond saving the girl and getting out. He had not planned on a mysterious woman he knew from somewhere, way back in his memories, tagging along. Or how hard it was to take care of three people without speaking to them. Or the fact that this girl wanted to take down his father-a fact that he had known, yes, but not really accepted until it was staring him right in the face.

He could, of course, say yes. Take off his mask and go with her, take down his father and save the world, be the hero, for once. Not the bad guy.

And it was what he wanted-to rid the world of his father before he could do any more damage. But actually doing so was a whole different matter.

Would Katara's group accept him? Would _Katara _accept him?

And he knew this: he really, really, really wanted Katara to accept him.

That was another thing he had not planned on. This strange attraction brewing between the two of him.

It was little things, of course. The way her hips swung when she walked. How she got that far-off look in her eyes while making dinner. The way her fingers felt when he took his cup from her. How whole-heartedly she accepted him, treated him like he mattered-

"Zuko?" a quiet voice whispered, freezing him in place.

It was too deep to be Katara-it had to be the woman. But how on earth did she know his name?

"...What?" he croaked out, voice hoarse from disuse. "Who are you? What do you-"

"Look at me," she murmured. "And tell me how you don't recognize me."

He turned, slowly, and took in the details of the woman standing not ten feet away.

It hit him all at once; the way her eyes were deep gold, sloping slightly, just like his. The pale birthmark on the side of her slender neck...the way her elegant fingers were tapered at the end...how her hair gleamed in the sunlight. Just like his.

His mind raced back to his last memory of her, quietly leaving his room that night so long ago. He compared this woman, every detail; and came up even. Yes, there were small differences-her name, small lines along her mouth and eyes, a little thinner than she used to be-but this woman was one and the same. This woman was his mother.

"Mom," he whispered, rolling the word around in his mouth. "Mom?" he asked, a question.

"Oh, Zuko," she murmured. "Oh, baby, I'm so sorry." Tears brimmed in her eyes.

Ten feet could not be crossed fast enough.

He fell into her arms, crying. "Oh, Mom...I can't believe...I never thought I would see you again...what happened to you? Why did you leave?"

Her hand tangled in his hair. "You've gotten so big," she whispered. "What happened to the little boy I left?"

"He grew up, Mom," he said. "Let's talk."

_ _ _ _ _ _

And they did.

"So...you didn't really leave? They caught you and kept you in prison?"

"Yes," she mused. "It wasn't that bad, really...better than death."

They sat against two trees, facing towards each other.

"And you," she laughed. "You did an awful lot while I was gone."

He paled. "Well, I did do some bad things, but I've changed, I promise-"

"Oh, baby," she whispered. "I know you have. I know."

"And...I've decided I want to go with Katara to find her friends."

Ursa nodded, smiling a grin that said she knew this all along.

_ _ _ _ _ _


	8. Chapter 8

Katara did not like the glances Shai Li kept sneaking the Blue Spirit.

The two had emerged from the woods, silent as always, but Katara could immediately tell something had changed. The air between them was different-somehow warmer, more familiar. It was as if they shared a secret, one only they knew the answer to.

The small fire the man had built (it was odd; she turned her back once to get a pot, and when she came round he had a fire made, and she had never even heard him strike flint!) smoldered slowly between them. Shai Li was already in her sleeping bag, staring up at the stars. The Blue Spirit layed back on his elbows, shadows reflecting on his mask.

Katara was lying on her side, head propped up on her elbow. She eyed the man across the fire from her carefully.

"...Hey," she said. "You awake?"

He gave the slightest nod.

"Why won't you talk to me? To us?" Her voice broke on that last word.

These past days had just been too much; the capture, the torture, escaping, worrying about her friends. She hadn't wanted to think about it, but sometimes it all just came crashing down.

"It's just so frustrating," she huffed, standing. "I have no clue where my friends are...or even where _we _are...I totally missed the invasion and probably screwed our plan up..."

Her voice rose steadily and her hands met her hips.

"And just to top it off...I'm stuck with an obstinate idiot who won't talk to me! You're not making this any easier on me or Shai Li at all! We get nothing done and are nowhere closer to my friends. I don't care who you are. I just want your help."

This was punctuated by a stamp of the foot and a grunt of frustration.

"...Katara?" Shai Li whispered from her sleeping bag.

"_What! _What do you want?" Katara shrieked.

"Well...I just thought I should tell you something. My name isn't really Shai Li."

Katara sighed. "Well, then. Wonderful. I honestly don't care what your name is. I just would like him to talk to me-"

"Katara." Shai Li shook her head. "My name is Ursa."

The Blue Spirit's shoulders tensed and his hands came up the cradle his head.

Katara stared blankly.

"Good for you," she said uneasily. "But what does that have to do with this conversation? Oh, wait. It's not really a conversation if _someone _won't talk to me!" She scowled at the Blue Spirit.

"I'm Zuko and Azula's mother, Katara."

"...Oh," Katara said, stepping back. "Oh. Oh. Wow. You're Azula's _mom? _But I thought you were on the good side." Her mouth dropped open.

"I am," Shai Li said gently.

"But...wow. Ok, then," she said, chuckling. Her hand went up and pinched the bridge of her nose.

"Well then," she sighed, turning to the Blue Spirit. "Do you want to tell me something? Who are you? My dad? The cabbage merchant? Toph?"

"No," a rough, deep voice said. "Wrong."

A black gloved hand reached behind the mask and fumbled with the knot.

The mask came off slowly, revealing pale skin and an angry red scar.

"It's me," he murmured, meeting her shocked gaze. "Zuko."

_ _ _ _ _ _

_'tberealohmygodohmygod_

Katara turned and ran, taken over by shock and surprise and confusion. Her life had shifted dramatically in about one minute, and it was just too much to handle.

The thought of _Zuko, _being_ nice _to her and _saving_ her was just too much to handle. It just didn't make sense. Wasn't he supposed to be her enemy?

She heard footsteps behind her and ran faster. What if this was all some ploy? What if this was really masterminded by Azula, with Katara as the bait for capturing Aang? Was she about to lead Zuko straight to her best friend?

A hand encircled her wrist-how was he so fast?-and tugged her back. She struggled, pulling, but it was dark and he was stronger and she didn't have her water. She reared back to punch him but found her other wrist held too.

She tried to break free and run, and she was close-so close-if only for the tree root that was in the way.

As she fell, Katara mentally cursed.

_Damn._

And she hit her head on the tree and passed out.

_ _ _ _ _ _

She woke up to a throbbing headache and a prince staring down at her.

_Oh god..._

She moaned and squeezed her eyes shut. So it hadn't been a dream.

"Are you okay? You hit your head pretty hard back there and passed out-" Ursa (_ohmygods) _said, peering down at her. It was day now, early morning. She could hear the birds and smell the remains of breakfast.

"Umm, yeah, I figured that out," she said. She tried to sit up and get her bearings.

She was gently pressed back down by two strong hands. She squinted, confused-wasn't she lying on the ground?-before she realized something.

Her head was in Prince Zuko's lap.

"Hey," he whispered.

Katara promptly passed out.

_ _ _ _ _ _

_ _ _ _ _ _

She woke up in the dark. Her head pounded, and she probed the tender skin of her temple. It was quiet, and the fire had burned down to embers. Around her was tucked a sleeping bag that smelled of smoke and dirt. She propped herself up, back on her elbows, and looked around.

Ursa was in a dead sleep across from her. Zuko-oh, gods, _Zuko-_ was nowhere to be seen.

She sighed, thinking. There really was no way she could trust these people-sure, Ursa seemed nice enough. And Zuko had saved her from the prison. But he had done so much more-chase them, and fight them, and try to kill her best friend. This might all be a carefully orchestrated plot to capture Aang, with herself as the bait.

Katara could not live with herself if he got captured because of her.

She needed to escape, and this was her chance.

She rose, and swayed unsteadily on her feet. Stumbling back, she grabbed a tree and sighed. This wasn't going to work if she was about to pass out.

She took a few deep breaths and righted herself. Quietly, she gathered what few things she had. Which really amounted to nothing.

There was the clothes Zuko had given her back at the prison. Her necklace, which she was wearing. She knelt down and rifled through his pack-he would hopefully understand she needed to borrow a few things.

There was not much in there. A change of clothes, or two, maybe. A small dagger, which she tucked into her pocket. Some cloth, and a small sewing kit. She ripped a strip off-it was big enough she could wrap it around her head and use it as covering. Her dark skin would be a tell tale giveaway that she was not Fire Nation, a sure way to get herself killed.

Her hand fumbled something hard and wooden. She pulled it out-the fire reflected blue, and a hint of white-and she gasped at the face that laughed back at her.

Shuddering, she dropped the mask, pushing it back in the bag. Funny how the face of her savior had turned to the face of her enemy.

She stood, and crept off into the forest.

_ _ _ _ _ _

Zuko sat, knees pulled up to his chest, facing the river.

The moon shone bright above, reflecting onto the gleaming water. It meandered by, swirling and twisting. It was all too easy to get lost in his thoughts.

He was...disappointed. Although he should have expected Katara's outburst, he hadn't planned on how much it would hurt to see her run away.

Hadn't he saved her? Hadn't he risked his life to get her out of the prison? And this was how she repayed him. Of course it would have been unrealistic to expect her to leap into his arms, praising his good deeds.

But running away? Really?

He sighed, clenching his fists. He didn't deserve this.

Already running through what he would say (or yell) at her, he stood and turned.

He got about three steps before something ran him over.

_ _ _ _ _ _

She had been running through the woods, intent on getting as far away from the campsite as possible before Ursa awoke and got Zuko, wherever he was.

Just up ahead she had spotted a river, which could be used for many things, foremost of all transportation. Give her some ice and she could surf down the river much faster than running through a forest.

As she neared the edge of the forest something rose up (an animal, maybe? couldn't be a _person)_, directly in her path. She tried to swerve, but her momentum carried her through and she hit the thing head on.

Judging from the muffled cursing and two strong arms that pushed her off, it was _not _an animal.

_ _ _ _ _ _

He pushed the thing off him, and stood, preparing to fight. It was a person, clad in dark red and tanned skin. It moaned, stumbling back and holding it's head. It slowly looked up at him, blinking with bleary blue eyes.

Red clothes...tan skin...blue eyes...._Katara. _Of course.

She took off, running towards the river and the ice board that was waiting on the water's edge. He saw her plan and was ready to take her down until she swayed, stumbling over a piece of driftwood on the shore. He caught her wrist and dragged her back.

"Running away?" he asked, glaring at her.

She rolled her eyes and drew up a whip of water. "Obviously, yes..."

The whip hit his back unexpectedly; he stumbled forward, loosening his grip.

She ran back towards the water but was stopped by a blast of fire at her feet.

He stood, frowning. "Really? Running away? After all I've done for you, risking my life to get you out, you run away-"

"_All you've done for me? _Are you kidding? Yeah, you saved me, but I'm not going to forget all the months you chased us, tried to kill us, sided with your sister at Ba Sing Se...I can't trust you."

She had hit a nerve; a dark shadow passed over his face.

"If I was really siding with my sister, would I have risked my life to save you? I would have tortured you, back at the Palace. I wouldn't have given you food, or brought you medicine, or doctored your wounds. Do you know how much I risked in doing that?" He fumed, clenching his fists. "I risked my crown and my life. Do you not understand what could have happened if we were caught? We would have been _killed_. Or worse."

"So? For all I know this was all staged and I'm leading you right to Aang. The last thing I want to happen is for us to find Aang and have a bunch of Fire Nation soldiers jump out and capture him! I can't trust you. I couldn't live with myself if I lead you to him."

He sighed. "I don't know what it's going to take for me to convince you I'm on your side. But I do know that if I go back to the Palace, I'll be killed. I can't go home. And you...you can't survive out here. You stand no chance. Face it. I know my way around the Fire Nation, and you don't. You'll spend your time wandering around in circles, and probably get yourself killed."

She hated to admit it...but he was right. She _didn't _know her way around. He knew what towns to avoid and the locations of military camps. If what he said was true, he couldn't stand to get caught any more than she could. At least she could hold him to that.

"Well, you have proven to be good at tracking Aang in the past. So I guess I'll go with you...on one condition."

She cocked her head and raised her eyebrows. He swallowed.

"If you make one mistake, tell me one lie, give me one reason to think you might betray me...I get to leave. No questions asked," she threatened.

He ran a hand through his hair, exasperated. "Deal," he sighed.

"Let's go," she muttered, pushing passed him into the dark forest.

_ _ _ _ _ _


	9. Chapter 9

_**ATTENTION: THE NEW FORMAT ALSO MEANS THAT IF YOU HAVE ALREADY SUBMITTED A REVIEW FOR CHAPTERS 1-18, YOU WILL NOT BE ABLE TO REVIEW THAT CHAPTER AGAIN. IF YOU WANT TO REVIEW, YOU HAVE TO SUBMIT AN "ANONYMOUS"/ "UNSIGNED" REVIEW.**_

_**Yes, **_**Mercy ****_does look different. I went through and combined the chapters, so now they are all longer (but the story is still the same). I felt like I had too many chapters and not enough words, and I want to end this story wit under 30 chapters. I hope this makes the story easier to read. This first part is the old Chapter 17, so don't be surprised if you recognize it. Just read till you get to the new part. _**

_ _ _ _ _

They had trudged back to the campsite, not speaking. Although they walked close-Zuko had been watching her closely after her first unsteady wobble-it seemed there was a canyon between them.

Upon their arrival she had huffed over to her (well, actually, _his_) sleeping bag, and curled up inside it without a word.

"That's my sleeping bag, you know," he whispered sharply.

"...So?" she said.

He sighed, grabbing his pack. He wasn't fighting with her bout this.

Rummaging through his bag, he sighed. Hadn't he had an extra blanket in here? And a dagger...some cloth...his sewing kit. Where were they?

Had...had Katara taken them?

He clenched his jaw. She was getting out of line...she had no right to be taking his things. No right _at all._

The fire flared as he stood and walked toward his sleeping bag. She was on her side, facing away from him.

"Listen," he began, whispering. "You don't have some 'power' over me, even with this whole deal thing. You have no right to be going through my things and taking them. I don't care if you were running away or whatever...are you even listening?"

He peered at her through the darkness. She lay still, and he sighed.

"I swear, if you're ignoring me, I'm not going to stand for it..." He frowned and stepped over his sleeping bag to face her head on.

"So. I won't stand for you taking my things...will you just please respond?"

He stooped down and looked her straight in the face.

"Katara? I swear..." Her eyes were closed and her face was relaxed. He brushed a tendril of hair off her face and she turned away from him.

"Go 'way, Zu, I'm tired..." she mumbled, drowsy with sleep. She buried her face into the fabric and sighed.

_Oh. _She really _was_ asleep. He backed away, blushing. He almost felt embarrassed-had he really been talking to a sleeping person? Would she remember him touching her hair? He stepped quickly back, lest she suddenly wake and find him staring.

Her hair was beginning to tangle, and one arm was thrown carelessly above her head. The firelight danced upon her skin, darkening it to a deep brown. Her chest rose and fell steadily. She wore a mask of calm, pink lips parted slightly.

He hated to admit it, but he got a funny feeling when he looked at her, curled up in his sleeping bag. Something warm clamped down over his heart and made it hard to think. It might have been the fact that she was the first girl he'd seen in quite a while, much less be this close to.

Or it might have been that he found her very, very pretty.

Even if he disliked her. _Remember, Zuko?_ Their fight in the woods and her deep mistrust of him?

He didn't like her. There was no way. He shook his head, clearing it of these dangerous thoughts.

He tiptoed carefully around the fire, not wanting to wake anyone. He laid down next to his pack-she was in his sleeping bag, after all-and pillowed his head on his hands.

He thought back to why he was mad at her. Something to do with taking something, right? ...Oh well, whatever it was could be taken care of in the morning. He yawned and closed his eyes.

In the morning...yes, he'd take care of it then...

His dreams were haunted by her beautiful face, stealing away into the forest...

_ _ _ _ _ _

Katara woke after dawn, roused by the smells of bacon and small hash-cakes. She looked around blearily-where were the good smells coming from? was it a dream?-and saw Ursa and Zuko, conversing quietly around the fire.

She murmured something, and he laughed softly. He held a black pot over the fire, containing the sizzling bacon and hash-cakes. Ursa raised her head and glanced at Katara, a smile warming her face upon seeing she was awake.

"Good morning, Katara," she greeted quietly.

Zuko raised his head and gave her a long look. His eyes were filled with emotion-confusion, maybe; questions. A little anger. And something else she recognized, but couldn't quite name.

"You want some breakfast?" he muttered, voice ragged. He motioned to the cakes and meat in front of him.

She nodded and slowly rose, stretching and yawning. He had plucked one of the small, hot cakes out of the pan and offered it to her.

"Where did we get the food?" she asked, taking the cake from him. It was round and she knew it was filled with sliced potatoes.

"Zuko scouted the area this morning and we are pretty close to Kuzhuolo, one of the Fire Nation colonies. Fortunately, this is one of the last open-minded towns in our country. The war hasn't affected them as severely as it has the rest of the colonies...good news for us, as we were running low on food and couldn't afford to get caught in some of the stricter areas," Ursa said.

Katara nodded, chewing thoughtfully on her cake.

"And I have been thinking," Ursa started. "It's been pretty...tense around here. What we need is some fun!" She smiled at them, grinning expectantly.

"...Fun?" she asked, brows furrowing, as Zuko held his head in his hands and sighed.

"Kuzhuolo is having it's annual town festival tomorrow," she said, giddy. "Everyone dresses up and goes to the town square for food, and dancing, and to hear the retelling of Kuzhuolo's town legend.

"Well, I know you me and you might blend in, but Katara won't. We can't stand getting caught after coming all this way," Zuko muttered.

"The legend is based off spirits, Zuko," Ursa said, grinning. "There will be people in costumes representing all four nations' spirits. As long as Katara is dressed as one of the Water Tribe spirits, it shouldn't be a problem. Most people wear masks. We need a day of fun."

Zuko sighed, muttering under his breath. "It won't work. There are too many chances we'll be discovered, and how is this helping us find the Avatar-"

"His name is Aang," Katara corrected sharply. "And who knows-maybe we'll hear something about his whereabouts. If there's gonna be a lot of people there, someone should know something about where he is. And if we're in costumes...I think it'll be fine. Ursa's right. We need to relax."

Zuko bit his lip and frowned. "Fine," he murmured. "But you'll have to be alert. Don't let your guard down for one minute...there's too much at stake..."

Ursa grinned.

_ _ _ _ _ _

The group roamed the countryside, looking for their lost comrade.

Aang's eyes were rimmed with deep purple circles, tired from sleepless nights and hopeless cries.

Sokka's throat was hoarse from his unanswered cries.

Toph was strangely silent, devoid of her sarcastic jokes and grins.

Hakoda wore mask of a man who had lost all hope but was too strong (or so he thought) to show it.

They couldn't go on like this much longer...

_ _ _ _ _ _

_ _ _ _ _ _

Katara and his mother had left to go into the town and search for their costumes; when asked to come along, Zuko had shrugged them off and said he would meet them up later.

He already had his costume-no need to waste his time in town buying a new one.

His hands shook as they reached into his pack and drew out his mask. It laughed back at him, daring him to go back to his old ways. This was his past, symbolized in a piece of painted wood.

He reached up and slowly tied the mask on his head, hands remembering how to tie a perfect knot before his mind could even register. He sought out his black clothes, fingering the worn cloth. Sighing, he realized how easy it would be to slip back into the person he had once been. The disguise went on too easy.

He slid the mask off and stared once again at its chipped facade. The scratches and scars of time had begun to wear off the paint, small divots of dark wood left in its place. Was this him? Was this new life tearing off the old, painful pieces of his past, showing who he really was underneath?

He rubbed his forehead and chuckled softly. This was getting a little too Iroh-like for his tastes.

A pang of sadness went through him when he thought of his uncle. Where was he now? Was he mad at him for his betrayal? Was he even still alive?

His mask went back into the bag and he stood, drawing his hood over his head, off to meet the girls.

_ _ _ _ _ _

Beneath her hood, Katara's forehead creased. She carefully searched through each rack of costumes, looking for the tell tale deep-red cloak and wispy veil. The store was small, but well-lit, run by an old lady who had winked at her and smiled when they came in. Thankfully, there were many racks of costumes to peruse through. Even before they had arrived at the small shop she knew what she would be-the famous women her mother always told her about.

The story of this strong, determined woman who had worked hard to help others had struck Katara, and was one of the most powerful memories she had of her mother. They would sit together in their little igloo and her mother would tell the legend of the Painted Lady.

Shrouded in a mysterious mist, she had been little Katara's idol. Now that she looked back on it, she realized why-it had reminded her of her own mother, strong and determined to save others.

Her hands brushed against a curved wooden hat, with a curve of sheer cloth hanging down. She gasped, pulling out the costume and holding it to her chest.

Something warm brushed against Katara's back and she stepped forward, muttering an apology. She stood still and waited for the figure to pass on, but felt the presence lean against the wall next to her.

She peaked out of the corner of her eye and saw it was a tall figure, clothed in a dark red cloak that covered most of his face. A telling smirk turned up his lips.

Of course. Zuko.

She relaxed-when had she started relaxing when she saw him, instead of tensing up?-and carefully removed the costume from its hanger.

"Ahh," he murmured, lips turning up into a genuine smile. "The Painted Lady...I remember her. Saved a village or something, right?"

"Umm, yah," she whispered, nodding uncertainly. Was this a real conversation?

He peered over her shoulder at his mother, who was in a rapt conversation with the old lady. They were both whispering, the old lady nodding excitedly. They would turn and look at Katara and Zuko, and then back at each other, giggling like school girls.

"Who's that?" he asked, stepping forward.

"Oh, just the lady who runs this place. I think Ursa is buying her costume..." She noticed the suspicion on his face and sighed. "Don't worry so much. I think the old gal is harmless. But I think she will kick us out if we stay past closing. Are you going to get a costume? I would do it now, before someone else comes in..."

His face clouded over and he shrugged. "I've already got one," he whispered.

"But-"

"You're right, we should get going," he sighed. "Let's go pay for it."

He brushed past her towards the counter. She frowned and followed.

_ _ _ _ _ _

The next day they could hear the festivities from the town, all the way at their campsite. The sound of a band was playing, and laughter and shouting were in full swing. It was nearing twilight, a pleasant darkness settling over the world, stars beginning to peek out.

Katara had gone off an hour earlier to put her costume on. His mom had followed, the girls laughing and discussing their costumes. He found it funny how well they got along, but even funnier still the unusual feeling of tenderness he felt when he watched them together.

He had slowly slipped on his black pants and shirt, carefully tying his mask on. He had then sat and watched the sun sink below the horizon, the sky a patchwork of scarlets and golds and light pinks. The night was warm, and he felt unusually relaxed.

Their familiar bubble of laughter rose up behind him, and he turned. His mother came into view first, wearing a simple red dress with a white mask. She was going as Jazul, a classic Fire Nation spirit symbolizing love and family. Her dark hair was tied back and pinned with a plain red clip.

Katara came running up behind, smiling. Her red cloak hugged her form invitingly, and the veil gave her a sensual air. Carefully painted ruby swirls complemented her tan skin, and her hair swung loose under her hat.

Zuko became very thankful he had a mask on to hide the telling blush that painted his cheeks.

"Are you ready?" she grinned, flushed and slightly out of breath.

He nodded slowly, grinning like a fool beneath his mask.

_ _ _ _ _ _

Lightheartedness greeted them as they walked into the town square.

Vendors marketed their wares from street corners, hot honey cakes and fire flakes and sweet toffees on a stick. A small band was playing festive music in one corner of the square, and couples waltzed by them, oblivious. The night sky blanketed overhead, stars bright and twinkling.

In the center of the square was a large fountain, spouting water from the top and gracefully falling to the bottom. People gathered around, talking and laughing. It was a sea of colors, masks and costumes of all shapes and sizes. Bright lanterns were strung overhead, and the scent of wildflowers and jasmine was in the air.

But the show stopper, the sight that made Katara gasp and Zuko's eyes widen, was the thousands of tiny candles spread throughout the square. They floated in the fountain, rested upon the high stone walls, sat in windowsills and on vendor's carts.

"The festival is the celebration of light," Ursa whispered, awed. "I'd heard this was what they were famous for...I just had never imagined there to be so many."

He nodded, speechless, and snuck a glance over at Katara. Her mouth hung open, eyes wide. The firelight glimmered off her skin and turned her hair a pleasant chocolate.

"Wow..." she murmured.

A gong sounded, and she jumped, shaken out of her daze. She offered him a sheepish smile as his mother peered over the crowd.

"I think they are acting out the legend over at the stage," she said. "The lady at the costume shop said we shouldn't miss it."

She ushered them through the throng of people who were making their way towards the main stage. They squeezed in on a bench close to the front, pressed close together by the masses of people sitting down.

Katara was jostled up against Zuko when a large man pushed her over.

"Sorry," she whispered, scooting even closer.

Zuko silently thanked the man and the gods for his good luck.

_ _ _ _ _ _

_**The next part of the festival will come soon. Please tell me what you think of the new format. I will be trying to write longer chapters so we get more plot put in. Please review!**_

_**ATTENTION: THE NEW FORMAT ALSO MEANS THAT IF YOU HAVE ALREADY SUBMITTED A REVIEW FOR CHAPTERS 1-18, YOU WILL NOT BE ABLE TO REVIEW THAT CHAPTER AGAIN. IF YOU WANT TO REVIEW, YOU HAVE TO SUBMIT AN "ANONYMOUS"/ "UNSIGNED" REVIEW.**_


	10. Chapter 10

The show began with the hit of a loud gong, reverberating through the noisy crowd and turning them silent.

Old, velvety curtains shook off their dust as they were slowly pulled open. A tsungi horn started a low, lilting melody, and a backdrop of mountains and trees came into focus. Misty fog covered the floor, curling around the trees and swirling off the stage.

A woman entered, seemingly floating on the mist. Her long, deep blue dress disappeared into the fog, and a wide hat with a long veil hid her face. Here bronzed skin shimmered, and was painted with stripes of dark blue, a Water Tribe symbol painted on each arm. She was clearly La, the Water Spirit.

The song changed, a flute playing a tumbling melody of high notes. Katara gasped, pressing one hand to her mouth.

Zuko looked at her, a question in his eyes.

"It's our battle song," she whispered. "For the Water Tribes...we play it when our warriors leave for war."

A ribbon of water rose up, twisting and twirling through the air. The crowed murmured-many had never seen waterbending before.

A blast of fire shot through the stage, and the crowd tensed. He saw uncertainty in Katara's eyes, and she shifted around, nervous.

La easily brought her water up and deflected the fire. But another blast came, and when the smoke cleared, a man stepped out on the stage.

He wore deep red robes, trimmed in black and embroidered with golden flames and a glistening sun. His black hair was pulled away from his face, and his body was covered in long lines of red and gold. The music changed back to the tsungi horn, a low, powerful song.

"Agni," he murmured, leaning over towards her. "Our main god."

She nodded, glancing quickly at him before turning back to the stage.

Agni approached the woman, circling around her. A tapered hand reached out to caress La's shoulder, but she twisted away. His shoulders slightly sagged before he turned to face her and reached into his sleeve.

He drew out a red ribbon with a blue pendant attached, dangling it in front of the spirits face. Zuko felt Katara's body stiffen beside him, and her breathing quicken.

The music stilled as Agni waited for La's answer. But she held up a hand, pushing the necklace away. Agni's shoulders slumped in defeat before La smirked, pulling up a long tendril of water.

The two spirits stood, facing each other. The mist increased, and a strong chanting began from behind the stage.

Who fired the first shot could not be known, but soon water and fire were being thrown back and forth, twisting around each other. It was slow, and powerful, bright flashes of light reflecting on the whips of water.

The two slowly began to move in a circle, a carefully calculated dance of the elements. The music increased, and they bent faster. Fire carefully twined around the water, and soon steam began to rise, sparks and droplets flying through the air.

They moved faster and faster, bending and twirling, until the stage shown with a bright array of stunning fire and sparkling water, melded together but keeping the other alive. The two spirits panted with the effort of keeping the display in place.

The music changed into something slower and smoother. The elements slowly began to recede back into their respective benders grips as the two moved closer together.

Agni once again brought out the betrothal necklace, presenting it to the maiden. The music stopped completely as the two gazed at each other, pendant swinging between them.

La nodded, once, and Agni moved to her back and gently clasped the necklace. Zuko let out a breath he'd been holding, and blushed when he heard Katara and his mother do the same.

Agni turned La toward him and kissed her sweetly, tenderly holding her close.

The crowd erupted into cheers and clapping as the stage slowly went black.

_ _ _ _ _ _

The throng moved back to the town square, hushed with excitement. The band started playing a lively tune and couples started dancing among the candles.

A young man in a green dragon mask approached Katara, bowed and asked her to dance. She glanced at him, asking permission with her eyes.

He nodded slowly, hating the feeling of jealously that crept through his veins. He would stay close to her...she might need protection. From men in green masks in a harmless town.

He grabbed a young woman next to him and asked her to dance. She had barely finished nodding before he swept her off her feet in a careful waltz, moving his way towards Katara and her partner.

The couples slowly danced in circles, candles glowing and music lilting. He heard Katara's laughter and her tan skin glowed in the firelight.

He was _this close _to reaching out and cutting in when a warm hand tapped his shoulder. Quickly turning, he took in the worn brown mask, green clothing stretched around a large belly, deep set gold eyes...

Bells of recognition began to peal in his head.

"I would recognize that mask anywhere," the man said.

Shock ran through his system, paralyzing him. He felt like he wanted to jump out of his skin. Something deep in him broke and clawed at his heart, and he felt dizzy.

"Uncle?" he breathed, reaching forward. "Oh gods, uncle, I am so sorry. So so sorry-"

"Come, Li," he said, smiling. "Let us go have a cup of tea and share good words."

_ _ _ _ _ _

They sat in the corner of the crowded, smoky teashop, sipping their hot cups of tea (jasmine and green, respectively).

"Uncle," Zuko started, shaky. He leaned across the table, eyeing the drunk rambling at the table next to them. "I know I abandoned you, back then. But I've changed now, uncle, I saved the girl and brought her back, and we're going to find...her friends, and I'm going to help them-"

"I know, nephew," Iroh whispered. "Your mother told me everything."

Zuko nodded slowly.

"I'm proud of you, nephew. You could have made some easy choices...but you made the hard ones. For that I am glad."

His uncle's warm hand (more wrinkles than last time, how could that be?) patted his shoulder.

"Where have you been?" Zuko asked. "They told me you escaped, but I hadn't known whether to believe they were telling the truth for why you were gone. I thought you were..."

"Dead?" Iroh chuckled. "Been close to it, a few times. But no...I went to visit a few old friends. They were very...helpful."

"So...mom told you where we are going, right? I'm going back with...the girl, and if you want to come with us you can-"

"Oh, Li," Iroh said, "Tonight is supposed to be a night of fun. And besides..." he leaned forward, and in a much graver tone whispered, "These walls have ears."

Leaning back, he exclaimed, "And speaking of 'that girl'...I think she might need a dance partner. Lets us go make sure she is okay, shall we?"

"Uncle, it is not like that-"

"Don't deny it, nephew, your mother has told me many things..."

Zuko sighed and rubbed his forehead.

_ _ _ _ _ _

After emerging from the teashop, they came to find the crowd slowly dispersing.

"We must have been in there longer than we thought," Iroh mused.

He spied Katara, leaning against the fountain with his mother.

She straightened when she saw him, a smiling slowly curling on her lips. "Where have you been?" she murmured.

"In the teashop with my uncle." He turned to introduce Iroh, but he was gone.

"Oh...your uncle? Where is he?" she asked, brows furrowing.

"Yes, my uncle Iroh. One of the few people who cared about me when I was younger, besides my mother...wait. Wasn't she just here, too?"

Katara turned to find Ursa, who had disappeared also.

_Sneaky old people..._

He searched through the thinning crowd and saw their backs. They turned and waved at him, clearly heading back to the campsite. He frowned and sat next to her.

"So...this is really pretty here. I'm glad we came." She leaned back on her hands, trailing her fingers in the water.

"Oh...so now you're gonna be nice to me? What happened to the 'I will kill you if you make one mistake' mentality you had earlier?" he asked dryly.

She gave him an odd look and sighed. "Things change, Zuko..." she said with a tremor in her voice. "You should know that better than anyone."

He nodded.

They sat in silence for a while, watching the dancers and the stars.

"So," he started. "Tell me about your friends. If I'm going to be living with them for a while, I should know some things about them..."

"Okay," she murmured, a faraway expression coming over her face. "Aang is a sweet boy...he's very innocent. Very playful."

"The Avatar? Innocent and playful?" He couldn't keep the bemused expression from his voice.

"Yes," she said. "He has the weight of the world on his shoulders, and he knows it. Inside...he is very mature. He has seen things I'd never dream of. But he is still a child. He still likes to play and have fun. He can be...temperamental, almost too sensitive. He is strong, though, and will fight to the death to save those he loves..."

Zuko nodded, imagining this sweet boy killing his father.

"My brother, Sokka...he'll hate you at first. But then I'm sure you will get along fine." She laughed to herself while Zuko imagined the sharp boomerang that would be held against his throat.

"He is sarcastic, and stubborn, and works hard. When my dad left for war, he had to grow up a lot. He was the only man left in our village...he took it upon himself and has always been our protector. He can't bend but he tries hard to make up for it. He can be hard to handle sometimes, but he is my brother."

"You are lucky," he said. "I could never dream of having that kind of relationship with my sister. She hates the ground I walk on...she wants me dead."

She nodded, unsure of what to say.

"Isn't there one more? A girl...what was her name? Toph?"

"Yes," she smiled. "Toph. She's blind-"

"_Blind? _But she earthbends so well..."

"She is quite talented, but don't you dare baby her because of it. She has always been very independent and strong. She is her own person and won't allow herself to be conformed to anyone else's standards. But she has a good heart and will stick up for you if you are apart of our group...just don't lie to her. She can tell if you do."

He gulped audibly and she laughed.

"But we won't have to worry about that, will we, Zuko? Cause you know what will happen if I catch you lying..."

But she grinned, and flicked him with water. He felt a weight lift off his chest and smiled back.

And they talked, and talked, about all sorts of things. Growing up. Their parents. The most basic things, but yet the most important.

The crowd slowly dispersed, couples leaving with a kiss and a smile.

"Hey," a middle aged man called out. "You staying? You gonna dance?"

Zuko looked up the the man, standing with the band.

"It's been fun, but it's getting late and we gotta get home. But we noticed you two haven't danced with each other all night...so we'll play you one last song. Agreed?"

But they didn't wait for an answer, spinning right into a slow love song.

Zuko turned. "Well...you want to?"

She blushed and reached out, taking his hand.

"I don't really know how to do this," she admitted. "I haven't done much dancing in my life."

"It's okay," he murmured. "Neither have I."

She laughed at this, and Zuko startled at the soft body pressed against him.

He had settled his hands lightly on her hips, and she wrapped her arms around his neck. They swayed back and forth to the slow, steady beat of the music.

She looked beautiful tonight, surrounded by the candles and stars. It tightened his heart to see her like this, eyes full of trust and happiness. The way she slowly moved closer. The utter perfectness of the moment that couldn't be ruined.

So a part of him wondered why he did what came next, why he took the chance of destroying this paradise.

He leaned in, slow, feeling her breaths on his chin. Her eyes were closed and lips slightly parted, pink and welcoming. One hand came up and cradled the back of her head and he leaned in.

At the first touch of their lips she pulled back.

"Zuko...why?" She looked at him, wondering and scared.

"Things change," he whispered, pulling her close.

This time when he kissed her, she didn't pull away.

_ _ _ _ _ _

_**A LOT happened in this chapter. I hope I didn't move too quickly with their relationship...I know it was very sudden. Please review and tell me what you think.**_


	11. Chapter 11

Somehow, the ragtag band had managed to quietly pack up and slip out, leaving the pair in alone with only the stars as their company.

He had pulled away first, suggesting that they should maybe head out. It was getting late, he had whispered. We don't want the adults to worry.

She had nodded, blindly, glad for the darkness to hide her telling blush. Her thoughts tripped over one another in her head, and she wanted to say something-what, exactly, she didn't quite know-but her tongue was all twisted and she couldn't think straight.

She had just kissed him. Zuko. Kissed. _Kissed. Zuko. ...._

Zuko. Her enemy. The guy that she had been yelling at and telling him to watch his back. Telling him she didn't trust him...

_But you have to trust someone to kiss them, _her mind whispered.

Trust. And it was true-she had trusted the Blue Spirit. He had been her lifeline and her savior in the dungeons, and Katara would probably be dead by now if not for him. It was only when he took off his mask, made himself vulnerable, when she started to doubt him.

How could it be that she could trust a mask and not a person?

But maybe she did trust him. The words they shared that night had meant a lot. It wasn't just idle chatter-they had talked. Meaningful conversation. She had relaxed-_maybe too relaxed, _the warrior in her had thought-but he had been different, tonight. Softer. Kinder. Different-but not in a bad way.

And then he had kissed her. Her hand came up and briefly touched her lips.

It was her first kiss, but she could feel it was special. It had made her all warm and tingly inside, all the way down to her toes. His lips had been warm, and his hands that cradled her head were so gentle. When he pulled away she felt surprisingly empty and cold, and would have pulled him back if not for the rush of emotions that had barreled into her when his words brought her back down to earth.

She yawned slowly-it was late, after all, and it had been a big evening-and wavered as her foot caught in a small hole in the uneven ground. She righted herself quickly, but not before feeling the warmth of Zuko's hand rest on the small her her back.

"Be careful," he whispered. "Don't want to fall."

_Too late, _she thought, sighing.

"Thanks."

_ _ _ _ _ _

Zuko felt like he was about to jump out of his skin. He was hyper aware-he could feel the crisp night air invading his skin, the quiet rustle of cricket-hoppers, and his heart thudding in his ears.

The night had been wonderful. They had kissed-actually kissed!-and it was everything he could've ever wanted and more.

He looked over at her now, walking beside him, blushing prettily and touching her lips. Her forehead was furrowed in deep thought, and she looked adorable. Her yawn, which turned her perfect pink lips into a wide "o", made his stomach drop and heart clench.

He sighed and shook his head. This whole kissing thing had messed with his mind. Wonderful? Blushing? Adorable? Where was he getting these words from? This girl...she had too much power over him. His manliness was disappearing all because of a simple kiss. This could not happen!

He grinned like a fool the entire way back to camp.

_ _ _ _ _ _

They had reached the quiet campsite in a gentle silence. Neither felt like talking, too lost in their thoughts to put them into words.

Zuko watched Katara kneel beside his sleeping bag, brushing out her long hair with nimble fingers. With her back to him, she removed the dark costume to reveal a small, white shirt and shorts. Her tanned skin shone out in the moonlight, and Zuko couldn't seem to pull his eyes away.

His sigh made her still, and slowly crane her head back to look at him.

He greeted her with a lazy smile, and she blushed, averting her eyes. She quickly slipped into the sleeping bag, murmuring a quick "Good night, Zuko."

He didn't know what to feel-disappointment at tan skin being tucked away from his view, or a decidedly male possessive surge of pride at seeing her curl up inside his sleeping roll.

He sighed and leaned back, truly relaxing for the first time in months.

"Good night, Katara."

He slowly slipped into a peaceful slumber, content and happy.

_ _ _ _ _ _

Zuko awoke a little after sunrise to find the campsite deserted except for his old uncle, puttering around the fire.

Iroh looked up from where he was, fussing with a chipped teapot, and smiled. "Good morning, nephew...would you like a cup of tea?"

A hand came up and pinched the bridge of Zuko's nose. _Well, things are certainly back to normal..._

He rose and shuffled over to the fire, accepting the piping hot cup of amber liquid. He sat beside his uncle, and slowly sipped the tea.

"Where are the girls?" he asked, noting Katara and Ursa's absence.

"They left a little while ago to visit the market and return the costumes," Iroh said. "They wanted to get some more clothes and food before it got too crowded. They supposed we would be leaving today. Ursa told me of our plans to find Katara's friends and join them. I wish to join you."

"And speaking of Katara," Iroh murmured with a sly glance, "How was your night? Did anything happen after me and your mother left?"

Zuko bit back a cough and felt a blush tingle over his cheeks. "None of your business, Uncle."

"So something happened, I presume."

Zuko's silence told Iroh everything he needed to know.

"I am glad for you, Zuko. She is good for you."

The two sat in silence for awhile, drinking their tea and watching the sun settle into the sky. Birds chirped and flitted, and the buzzing of insects met his ears. _Summer is coming, _they said._ Get ready. _

"Uncle...where have you been? And tell me the truth, this time. I deserve to know."

"Do you?" His uncle said, raising his eyebrows. "I believe we all remember your betrayal at Ba Sing Se...there are things I deserve to know, too."

Tense, Zuko nodded. His uncle was right. "You go first," he said, voice hoarse.

Iroh sighed. "After my escape, I hid for a few days. There were scouts and such on my trail, but I was able to throw them off soon enough. I then started to work my way around the Fire Nation. I had made up my mind to join the Avatar long before yesterday."

"I knew we would need an army, a large one, to take down my brother. And believe it or not, we _do _have allies here, old friends that support the Avatar's cause and want to help."

And with this he took out a worn tile, carefully painted with a white lotus flower. He tossed it up into the air, hard wood glinting in the sunlight as it spiraled down to earth.

"Ahh...," Zuko said. "The White Lotus Society."

"Yes," Iroh nodded. "I had to...check their allegiances to the cause. Many were as resolute as always, but some needed some...persuading."

"...What kind of persuading are you talking about, Uncle-"

"Zuko, it doesn't matter. All that matters is the fact that we have many allies here in our homeland, ready to help if needed. And I had a feeling you would be at the festival, if your mother's promises held true. She always loved Kuzhuolo," Iroh drifted off, a dreamy look in her eyes.

"Had...had you known my mother was in the prison? All those years...had you known?" Zuko couldn't control the shaking in his voice.

"No, nephew," Iroh said sadly. "I wish I had, so I could have helped her. But there are always things we wish we could have done...you and I know that very well."

"Uncle, I can't tell you why I did it. At the time, it looked like the easy way out. I truly thought that Father would welcome me home. And the Avatar had gotten away. So...I thought it had almost been a success. I got to go home, and the Avatar remained uncaptured. I should have known it was to good to be true."

"Ozai didn't welcome me home like I thought he would. I believed things were going to be normal between us. Maybe...maybe he would love me again, treat me like a prized son. But he didn't. He ignored me. It was like I wasn't even there."

"And then Azula started...torturing," He choked out the word, hating it so very much, "_torturing _Katara, beating her and starving her. She was so broken and hurt, I had to save her-"

"Azula tortured the girl?" Iroh frowned. "But she looks so healthy now. How did she survive?"

"They kept her alive as bait. Azula was careful not to maim her too much. And I took care of her, sneaking down at night as the Blue Spirit to feed her and care for her wounds. I...couldn't let her down. She trusted me."

"I was there when Ozai told the war council of his plans to destroy the rest of the world. He talked about how he would take over the Earth Kingdom and annihilate the Water Tribes. And after spending so much time with her...I couldn't let that happen. I knew what I needed to do."

"It...wasn't what I expected, Uncle. I thought...I thought things would turn out different. But I see where I was wrong, now. And I'm doing everything I can to make it better."

He finished in a whisper, face full of emotion.

His uncle sat, deep in thought.

"I know you are, Zuko," he said roughly. "I am proud of you for that. You took a risk, in saving Katara and your mother. But you also saved yourself."

"You will become a great man, Zuko. You have goodness in you, unlike your father or sister. You may not see it, but you are a thousand times more blessed than they. Because you have the chance to become good. They are too far set in their evils to change. But Zuko...you have the choice. You have hope. And I know that you will make the right choice, now."

Zuko nodded, and reached for his uncle. They hugged, for the first time in months. Zuko allowed himself to be vulnerable and sagged into his uncle. He was surprised to find himself crying-where were all these overwhelming feelings coming from?-and slowly pulled away.

"Thank you, Uncle," he whispered, and realized the old man was crying also.

"Now, now," Iroh chided, smiling. "Pull it together, nephew. Your girl will be back soon and you don't want her to catch you crying!"

Zuko laughed, the wet kind of laugh that comes after a good cry.

"Now how about another round of tea," Iroh said, poking the fire.

Zuko smiled. Really, truly smiled.

_ _ _ _ _ _

A weary Hakoda called the haggard group together for a meeting.

Sokka, Toph, Suki, and Aang gathered out in the woods with Hakoda and Bato. The sky was slowly darkening with heavy clouds of rain.

"I hate to say this...but we have to move on." Hakoda sighed. "We have to think of the good of the world. The comet is coming, and we have to get ready. Aang needs to learn firebending, and we need to gather up a decent sized army."

Haru and a few of the other earthbenders had left a week ago to gather up as many earthbenders as they could, and had decided to meet back in the northern Fire Nation port of Tang Hao in one month.

"We'll need to get everyone to Tang Hao by the time Haru arrives back. Hopefully we'll be able to find you a firebending teacher well before then. From there we can formulate a plan."

The group nodded, silent.

Anger welled up inside Aang. At himself. At the Fire Nation. At the rest of the group, for trying to move on. At the whole world.

"I think...we need to have a funeral for her. She deserves that." Suki's voice wavered unsteadily.

"Suki's right," Sokka murmured. "My baby sister deserves a funeral."

The group had accepted the fact that Katara was probably dead. They hadn't heard a word about her since the eclipse, and the remains of her dress, torn and stained with blood, told them all they needed to know.

With a heartsick cry, the Avatar raised his glider and flew off, leaving the group behind.

With a strong clap of thunder the heavens opened and rain fell, furious and angry. The wind blew and water hit, sharp and wet against their fragile hearts.

"Tomorrow, then," Hakoda said. "We will have her funeral tomorrow."

_ _ _ _ _ _

The group gathered on the crest of a rocky hill. It was still raining, and the ground was muddy and sighed when they walked. The birds were mysteriously silent, and the air hung hot and heavy.

The group had cleaned up as best as they could.

Using ash, Sokka, Hakoda, and Bato had painted their faces in traditional Water Tribe mourning fashion. Black paint was crusted on their faces, mixing with the rain and streaking down their necks.

Toph, in a true show of love for her lost friend, had carefully washed and had Suki brush back her mess of hair.

Aang had showed up late that night, and had not spoken a word to anyone since.

Sokka held Katara's dress in a tight ball, clutching it to his chest and staring off into the distance. Suki stood by his side, holding his arm and leaning her head on his shoulder. Toph stood a few feet away, holding her arms to her chest and crying silent tears. Aang stood next to Hakoda, straight and tall and distant.

Hakoda cleared his throat and clenched his fists.

"We have gathered here today to release the spirit of Katara of the Southern Water Tribe, our beloved Healer, Warrior, Bender, Sister, and Daughter." His voice cracked on the last word, and he paused, steadying himself.

"My daughter always worked hard to love and care for others. She worked tirelessly as a healer and used her bending skills for good. After my wife's death, Katara took it upon herself to care for the small children in our tribe and be a good role model for them."

Sokka nodded, and wiped his eyes, tendrils of black ash wiping away on his hands.

"She left our tribe to extend her helping hand to the whole world. She fought valiantly to help free others trapped under the tyranny of the Fire Nation. She was kind and loving to everyone she met. She was brave, and courageous, and strong. I am sure," he said, crying hard. "I am sure...I know she fought hard until the last minute."

A low moan arose from Hakoda's side; Aang had his hands pressed to his face and was kneeling on the ground, desolate.

"No," he murmured. "No, no, no..."

"She would want us to continue what she started," Hakoda yelled over Aang's screaming and the pounding rain. "She would want us to finish this war, have her strength and bravery, have her heart. We have to do this, for her. For our Katara."

Toph openly cried, now, clutched at the air. Sokka held the tattered blue cloth in a fierce grip, holding onto Suki and sobbing in her arms.

"Toph?" Hakoda motioned. Tears streamed down his face as he pointed to a smooth patch of grass.

The girl stepped forward, and the group fell silent. Toph carefully carved out a small rectangle, new soil being muddied by the rain.

Sokka stepped forward, unsteady, wobbling and crying. He hugged the dress to his chest for one long moment, before taking a deep breath and placing it carefully into the ground.

"Love you, baby sis," he whispered. "Love you."

And he fell back into Suki's arms.

"You may pay your final respects, now," Hakoda murmured.

Toph approached and placed both of her hands on the cloth. Her shoulders dropped, and she bowed her head for a long minute before kneeling and gently kissing the dress. "Miss you, girl," she said. "Don't get into too much trouble up there."

She stepped back.

Suki untangled herself from Sokka's arms and approached the grave. She knelt and said a short prayer before returning to her spot next to Sokka.

Hakoda kneeled and one hand touched the dress. He leaned down. "Oh, baby," he said. "Oh, sweetheart. I love you, and am more proud of you than I can say." He sobbed, now, big fat tears rolling down his cheeks. "Love you, sweetie. Have fun with your mother. I will be there as soon as I can. Watch over us." He stepped back, shoulders shaking.

Aang fell upon the ground, crawling next to the small hole.

"Katara," he said, voice achingly high and pained. "Katara, I am so, so sorry. If I had known what they would do...If I had known I would never have left. I would have fought until they killed me to save you. I thought...I thought I would be able to save you. I didn't think...oh gods, Katara, _I am so sorry. _I love you, Katara. I love you. I love you I love you I love you..."

And he stayed there,repeating that phrase over and over, until Bato pulled him up, to his feet.

"Now we release Katara to the Great Spirits. May they bless and watch over her." Hakoda sighed, and bowed his head. Toph covered the dress with a thick layer of earth.

A great streak of lightening shattered through the air, making the group jump. Thunder followed moments later, and the ground began to shake.

Aang stood, shaking, eyes and arrows glowing an electric blue. His mouth opened in a never ending scream, and his body slowly began to rise above the ground.

The wind picked up, and the leaves and grass rustled. The group crowded closer together as they watched the Avatar in all his fury.

It rained harder, now, and the wind and water swirling high in the air. The ground was quivering, and thunder boomed. Aang's moans of heartbreak echoed through out the valley, and the group cried beneath him.

Suddenly, it was eerily quiet. The rain stopped and there was absolutely no sound. The wind had stilled, and nature held its breath.

The group looked up to see Aang with his hands raised, pulling the rain up carefully from the earth. It receded into the clouds, which he then pushed back with a great gust of wind.

The sky shone a deep, dark blue (just like her eyes, her clothes, her element) and the sun shone coldly, glowing high above in the open sky.

The wind slowed, and Aang spiraled slowly down to earth, the broken child falling limp into Bato's arms.

The group stood in shocked, stunned, heartbroken silence.

"Let us go," Hakoda murmured moments later before turning and shuffling down the hillside.

The rest of the group followed slowly, numb, bereft.

_ _ _ _ _ _

_**Emotional chapter! Wow. I hope I didn't go too overboard with the funeral. Also, please check out the new Chapter 1. I went through and made some additions and I like it a lot more now. Hopefully you do too.**_

_**PLEASE review! **_


	12. Chapter 12

"A month?" Aang shrieked. "I can't learn firebending in a MONTH! Are you crazy?" He paced back and forth in front of Sokka and Toph.

"Twinkletoes..." Toph started. "I thought we had talked about this? You have one month before the comet comes. And I don't think you're taking down Ozai without knowing an ounce of firebending. You're good...but not that good."

A decidedly evil glare was lost on Toph's blind eyes.

"At least the basics, Aang," Sokka said. "Hopefully the Avatar State will kick in before you need to use any fancy moves on Ozai. A month doesn't seem like a long time, but if we find you a really good master soon you can get a good foundation. It's better than nothing."

"But what if we don't find someone?" Aang said, voice hollow. "What if I'm not ready?"

There was a silence.

"You don't have a choice, Aang," Toph whispered, serious. "You have to be ready. Aang...the world is counting on you, ready or not. We let them down at the invasion...we can't do that again."

"...I have something I should probably tell you guys," Aang mumbled, looking like a little boy.

Which is, of course, what he was.

"Well...two things, actually," he said sheepishly.

"Aang. Spit it out," Sokka said, leaning back against the grass and sighing.

"Umm...well I wasn't actually planning on, um, on fighting the Fire Lord until after the comet comes," Aang said quickly. "He'll just be too powerful and, um, I have no clue how to firebend and we'll lose. And this way we have more time to find a teacher so I can be ready and-"

"_What?!?_" Sokka shouted, jumping up. "Aang, did you you really just _say _that? You can't be serious. We are a MONTH away and you just now tell us you aren't gonna fight the Fire Lord when we had planned? Aang, I don't even know you anymore. You're a coward-" He sat down, breathing hard.

"Sokka. Stop," Toph said. "Aang-do you not realize what effect this will have? Ozai is probably gonna take over the world on that day. If we don't stop him then, we aren't gonna get another chance-"

"We're already gathering an army, Aang," Sokka whispered. "Like Toph said-this is our chance. And you have the Avatar State! He may be powerful, but can't you just get all spirit-y on him and take him down? I mean, isn't that what the Avatar State is for?" His face was desperate, pleading.

"Well, umm, that's the second thing," Aang mumbled.

Sokka clenched his fists.

"You see...when I met with the Guru, he told me what I had to do to use the Avatar State at will. To just be able to...turn it on, whenever I needed it. Normally it just happens when someone important is in danger, or when I'm angry or upset...but now, I need to be able to use it at my command. I can't keep on waiting for it to happen, because if I do, it's gonna be too late...but I can't do it. I can't let her go," he whispered, sitting down on his knees.

"Can't let who go, Aang?" Toph asked, already knowing the answer.

"He said that there was something blocking me from unlocking my last chakra," Aang said, staring straight ahead. "An attachment. Love. Her. I can't have control of the Avatar State but still have her. He said I had to chose...her or the world. But I just can't make that choice. I left before he could tell me how to unlock it. How to choose."

"Aang, you're not making sense," Sokka said, shaking his head. "Who are you talking about?"

There was a pause.

"Her, Sokka," Aang said, starting to cry. "Katara."

Silence.

"Aang," Sokka whispered, coldly, emotionless. "My sister is dead. Your feelings are worthless now. If that is what is keeping you from saving the world...she's gone, Aang."

"I know she is," he said in a small voice. "My head knows that...but my heart doesn't. I can't let go of her...I lost her that first time. I can't lose her again."

"She would want you to give her up, Aang," Toph said, gently. "You know how she wanted nothing more for there to be peace. And if it meant that you gave her up in order to do that...maybe Katara had to die. Maybe that was what it was going to take for you to give her up, for you to save the world."

"Toph's right," Sokka said slowly. "As much as I hate it...maybe she had to die. You can't love someone that isn't here, Aang. You have to let her go. You have to let her go."

"But I can't," he whispered.

And he had to get away. He took off running, grabbing his staff and flying up into the air, away from his problems and closer to her.

"I can't," he said. "I can't."

But the voices in his heart told him he didn't have a choice.

_ _ _ _ _ _

They had walked all day, along dusty side roads and gurgling creeks. Tonight's camp was a small clearing in the midst of a large forest.

They had eaten a small dinner, of bread and smoked meat. It was late now, and Ursa and Iroh sat beside the fire, deep in conversation and sipping cups of steaming tea.

Katara was rummaging through her things-she had bought a new pack, and more clothes-in the last town they passed through. She fingered the fine red cloth, and wondered why (and how) Zuko could afford to spend all that money on her. Of course, he was a Prince. He had money, lots of it. But why he felt the need to buy her a new hairbrush and a strong waterskin escaped her.

She had asked him why, and he had responded slowly. "I want you to have them," he said quietly.

She felt a presence at her back, and turned. Zuko stood, reaching an arm out, almost touching her shoulder. His lips were curled up in a bemused expression.

"Take a walk with me," he said.

Her heart sped up as he turned and started to walk. He had gotten to the edge of the clearing before he noticed she hadn't followed. She wanted to-but it felt like her legs were glued in place.

_Come on, _he mouthed, beckoning her forward.

She rose quickly and fell into step next to him, stomach twirling and knees shaking.

They had barely talked all day, and they hadn't had a moment of privacy since the festival. But she found herself thinking about him more and more. All it took was one glance from him, and her pulse raced.

Their kiss relived itself constantly in her mind, in her dreams. His soft lips moving against hers for far too short a time. Her lips ached for another one.

"Where are we going?" she asked, shaking her head of those girlish thoughts.

"...I have something I want to show you," he said, smirking. He looked at her, with those probing golden eyes, and she felt that delicious tingle race down her back again.

"But it's dark outside..." she said.

She could have sworn he blushed a little, and wondered why. "I know," he said. "But it has to be dark for what I'm going to show you. They only come out at night."

"They?" she asked. "Is it an animal?"

"No," he said. "Well...maybe. It depends on how you look at it."

Katara nodded, although that made absolutely no sense.

After a time, they stopped in the middle of a large, grassy clearing. Zuko layed out a large red blanket-she hadn't even noticed he'd been carrying it, as dark as it was-and spread it carefully on the ground.

"Come on," he said. "Lie down." He layed down on the blanket, stretching out and folding his arms beneath his head.

"Why?" she asked, noting the tremor in her voice.

"Because," she could hear the frustration in his voice. "You can only see it if you're lying down...I'm not going to do anything to you, Katara.. Relax...I just want to show you this."

"Okay," she said nervously, laying on the side of the blanket opposite of him. Was...was he going to try and kiss her again? Part of her hoped he would and part of him prayed he wouldn't-

She felt the blanket shift as he scooched closer to her. Heat emanated from him, and a warm hand grabbed hers.

"Hey," he whispered, voice soft. "Look up."

And she did, reluctantly-there was nothing up there but the sky, and she knew that.

But what was up there shocked her.

"Oh," she gasped, sucking in a breath. "Oh, wow..." And he chuckled beside her, and she could almost see him visibly lighten, a weight rising off his shoulders.

Up in the wide expanse of black shone a million twinkling stars, brighter and clearer than any she had seen in her life. Some were like the snow, and others glowed a milky blue, others orange or pale pink as a new spring flower.

"If you get far enough away from the capital, you can see the stars a lot better," he whispered. "When me and Uncle were...traveling, after I was exiled, we passed through some of the colonies. And this is one of the things I remembered most..."

"Zuko?" she murmured. "Will you tell me what happened? Why...why he exiled you?"

He was silent for a long while; she opened her mouth to tell him he didn't have to talk about it if he didn't want to, but he began to speak.

"He invited me into the war room when I was fourteen. They were speaking of a new plan...of sacrificing a large troop, having them be a distraction while other forces attacked. They would all be killed, and everyone in the room knew that.

I spoke out, and told them I disagreed, that there had to be a way to do it without killing all those soldiers. Father...Ozai challenged me to an Agni Kai, as a way to regain my honor-"

"But you never lost your honor," she insisted. "You had done the honorable thing!"

"I know," he said. "But Ozai didn't see it that way.

I refused to fight him, and asked for forgiveness instead. But he told me that was a sign of weakness, refusing to fight him. He...scarred me, and told me I was a disgrace to our nation. I was exiled, and the only way I would be allowed back was if I captured the Avatar."

"Well," she said softly, " I think you did the right thing. If you hadn't been exiled, you never would have known a life outside of the Fire Nation. You could have ended up like Azula....or worse. It all happened for a reason, Zuko," she whispered. "I know that for sure."

And she squeezed his hand, ever so slightly, and he smiled into the stars.

"I know," he said. "And I wouldn't have had it any other way."

They sat in silence for a while, enjoying the heavens above.

"You don't see the stars too much in the south," she said. "Some days we have times when the sun shines for weeks. Or other times it is pitch black, and we have to use fire-sticks to see. And even then the stars are weak. And of course, you never slept outside. You were always in the tents, or else you would freeze."

"And on your travels?" Zuko asked.

"Not much," she said. "We were always too tired, or too busy, or too....whatever to spend time looking at the stars. And we never just lied out in the open...there were always trees or something in the way."

"Did I ever...hurt any of you?" he asked quickly. "When we were fighting...no one ever got hurt, did they?"

"Not really," she said carefully. "Of course, sometimes we had scrapes, or cuts, or small burns. But never anything serious."

She saw him wince. "I'm sorry," he said, and she could hear the regret and pain in his voice.

"It's okay, Zuko," she said. "I have healing abilities. As long as there was water near, I could heal whatever injury they had."

"Will they accept me?" he said, sounding like a little boy. "Will they...forgive me?"

"It might take a while, Zuko," she murmured. "But you have my vote. And they'll take that into consideration. And Toph can tell if you're lying, so she can vouch that you're telling the truth.

It might take them a while to get them to like you...but they'll accept you.

You'll have the hardest time with my brother," she said, laughing softly. "Not because of who you are, or what you've done...but because of us. This," she said, looking down at their connected hands.

"Oh?" he said, propping himself up on one elbow. "So there's an 'us' now?"

"Isn't there?" she said, meeting his smiling eyes. "Isn't that why you kissed me at the festival?"

"You never know," he said. "I may just be trying to gain your acceptance..."

"But I already accept you-"

"Good," he murmured, and he was leaning over her, blocking her view of the stars. "So you'll accept if I do this?"

But he didn't give her time to answer before his lips sealed over hers.

_ _ _ _ _ _

Her lips were warm, and soft, and the feeling of her full body squirming beneath him was almost too much to bear. His hand slid along the curve of her hip, holding her body down.

He kissed her slowly and tenderly, one hand steadying himself while the other curled in her long hair. Her breath came out in shuddering gasps, but she was kissing him back, so he took it as a sign that he move ahead.

He trailed a careful line of kisses across her cheek, along her hairline, down the sweet slope of her nose. Her eyelashes were fluttering, and he felt the swell of her chest rise and fall beneath him. Her face was warm and flushed, and her lips had swelled up, and he just had to kiss her again.

He was fiercer, this time, nibbling and sucking her bottom lip. She moaned, deep in her throat, and her hands came up to fist in his hair. She tugged him down to meet her lips, growing bolder with each passing moment.

"Katara," he murmured, voice roughened. "Oh, Katara..."

And she was kissing along his jawline, teeth nipping out to bite his earlobe. His breathing quickened as she moved to the other side of his face, kissing the tip of his nose.

She paused above his scar, waiting for permission.

He barely nodded before her lips moved over the smooth, crinkled flesh. She kissed up, to where his eyebrow should have been,and he released a deep, shuddery breath as she trailed her tongue along the glossy flesh.

He seemed to pause, and his eyes opened, wide and bright.

"You're the first person I let touch that," he whispered. And she nodded, opening her mouth to say something, anything, before he kissed her again.

But this was a different sort of kiss. It was deeper, and his tongue traced her lips before sliding into her mouth. It was softer than she expected, though, and he traced the insides of her teeth, massaging his tongue with hers.

She could hear her blood pounding through her ears as he slowed his actions. His mouth kissed down her neck, planting tiny little kisses along her collarbone before finding her pulse point and giving it a sloppy, open-mouthed kiss.

Something deep inside her core began to burn as his mouth hesitated over her neck. His breath was hot and moist and he waited.

Ad then he was biting her, sinking his teeth into her neck and slowly sucking. It was painful at first, but his tongue came out and laved attention on her wound, and her whole body was warming up. She heard a sound like the purring of a lion-cat, and realized it was coming from her own being.

He gave the bite one last kiss before moving up and gently kissing her mouth.

"Zuko..." she murmured, trailing off, and he layed down beside her and pulled her body over, onto his own.

Her head came to rest on his chest, and his hands came up to rub his back.

But she wasn't going to let him get away with that. She propped herself up on her elbows slid up his body, kissing his neck.

She felt his breathing quicken and his hands started stroking her hips. His pulse beat out a steady drumbeat and she kissed it, much like he had done to her.

And she hesitated over his neck, drawing out the tension until he was quivering beneath her. It was...exhilarating to have this much power over him, to have him shaking under her.

So she sunk her teeth into his neck and he moaned, loudly, and she suckled until she could taste the coppery tang of blood on her lips.

But he didn't seem to mind, and she felt an absurd surge of female pride at his shivery reaction to her marking. That she could make him feel as breathless as he had made her.

He pulled her down for a final, gentle kiss, and hugged her tightly. His breathing began to even out, and he felt her relax in his arms.

Her head once again found its place near his heart, and she listened as its furious beating began to slow down.

His hands came up and smoothed down her hair-it had gotten pretty tangled-and then traced down the line of her spine before settling on the small of her back.

A curious drowsiness began to overtake her, and she could almost feel Zuko smile.

"Well," he said. "That was..."

But his voice trailed off, and he was silent. He started to slowly rub her back-and that, combined with her happy feelings and sleepiness, sent her over the edge.

_ _ _ _ _ _

He felt her body go limp in his arms.

"Katara?" he whispered. "You fall asleep?"

No response.

He grinned as he sat up, cradling her body close. She was light, and warm, and apparently a very heavy sleeper.

Standing up, he grabbed the blanket and draped it over her. He walked carefully back to the campsite, setting her gently down into her sleeping bag. He tucked the blanket up around her shoulders. He felt very...protective of her right now. He brushed the hair out of her eyes before a quiet cough interrupted him.

He turned, caught his Uncle grinning at him, and shot him as sour a look as he could muster after having just made out with Katara.

"Be quiet, Uncle," he said, before lying down in his sleeping bag and looking up at the stars.

_ _ _ _ _ _

_**Wow. Well...I hope that was ok! I've never kissed anyone so I hope it was alright. **_

_**PLEASE REVIEW!**_


	13. Chapter 13

Dawn came early, and Zuko woke feeling strangely refreshed. He noted that he had overslept-the sun was already peeking over the horizon-and realized how truly relaxed he felt.

He had been sleeping better, surprising, considering the fast approach of the comet. He suspected the presence of a particular waterbender (and something about kissing) might have something to do with the fact.

Katara was sitting near the fire, her back to him, sipping what appeared to be a cup of tea. The jade kettle, his uncle's favorite, sat beside her, steaming. She looked beautiful, with the wind and sun curling through her hair. She wore a basic, dark blue tunic, bought in the last town they passed through.

Standing, he stretched, loosening his arms and legs before quietly walking over to her.

He knelt beside her, and was rewarded with a gentle smile and blush.

"Good morning," she murmured, pouring him a cup of tea.

"Good morning indeed," he whispered, turning to look at his still sleeping mother and uncle.

"Zuko," Katara said, a strange urgency catching in her voice. "Zuko."

He turned and looked; she was staring straight ahead, clutching her tea cup to her chest.

"We have to find them," she said. "We have to find them before the comet comes." Her eyes were focused on the rising sun, glowing a brilliant gold.

A single tear rolled down her cheek and dropped to the ground, making a round, dark spot in the dust.

"Aang doesn't know fire bending yet." She wiped the wetness off her face. "And I don't know if they're okay...if they have any sort of a plan...and I'm sure their all worried too..."

"He doesn't know firebending?" Zuko asked in disbelief. "But there's only-"

"One month till the comet comes," she finished for him. "I know."

Inside, Zuko had known that all along. But to hear it stated so plainly startled him. The fact that the savior of the world had no firebending experience and was going up against a master was...unthinkable.

"None at all?" he asked. "Not even the basics?"

"He tried to learn it once," she said. "We met this man... Jeong Jeong. He tried to teach Aang...but the fire got out of hand and burned me. I was able to heal myself, but...he said he would never firebend again."

"But he'll have to." His hand reached up and felt the rough lines of his scar. "For a long time I didn't want to firebend, seeing what it had done to me. I couldn't think of doing it. But you have to...he's not going to have a choice. The world is counting on him."

Katara sighed and nodded, leaning her head on his shoulder. His arm-strong and warm, supportive-wrapped around her, drawing her close.

"I...was wondering something," she admitted, after a time. "Would you and Iroh consider teaching him? I mean, I don't know if they've found anyone, but I'm assuming they haven't, so I just thought that-"

"Of course we would," Zuko murmured. "Of course."

"I agree!" a raspy voice said. Katara jumped in his arms, and they turned.

"I think it sounds like a very good plan," Iroh mumbled, yawning. "Now nephew, will you please stop snuggling your girlfriend and pour your old, frail Uncle a cup of that delicious smelling tea?"

Katara blushed and Zuko quickly reached for the teapot.

"With us both working, we can at least teach the basics." Iroh stood and carefully toddled over to where they sat, gratefully accepting his cup of tea.

"So we're finding the Avatar and you two will be his firebending masters..." Ursa yawned, sitting up. "What can I do?"

"I'm sure I'll need help cooking and taking care of everyone," Katara said. "If everything is going according to plan, they should be gathering quite a large group by now."

"So I'll be like a mom?" The note of anticipation in her voice was hard to ignore.

"Yah," Katara said, pausing. "Yah...you'll be like a mom." And she couldn't help the grin that lit her face, at the hope of having someone to consider a mom, even if just for a while.

"So....can you make fire? Just a little bit?" Sokka stared at the boy expectantly.

"You know what happened last time I tried," Aang grumbled, staring off at the nearest cluster of trees.

They were in the middle of a small clearing, soon after the sun had risen. Everyone else was either still asleep, finding food, or 'taking care of business'. The birds were out, chirping their greetings.

Sokka paced in front of him. "You're gonna have to get over that someday," he sighed. "It was a little thing. Now we have to focus on the future, not the past."

"I know," Aang said. "I know."

"I mean, we've got enough to worry about without thinking of...that kind of thing," Sokka babbled. "Aang, it doesn't—Aang? What are you...?"

And Aang raised his hands in front of him, steadied himself, and took a deep, calming breath.

He slowly spread his hands apart, a look of deep concentration etched on his face. Sound stilled in the forest.

There was a pause for several moments before a small, bright spot of light appeared between his hands.

"...doing?" Sokka asked.

He gasped, surprised; the flame vanished as quick as it came.

"Oh," he murmured. His eyebrows furrowed as he stared at his hands.

Sokka gaped in awe. "Try again."

He widened his hands and focused his energy on that one very spot, until another, bigger ball of amber light formed.

He concentrated again, breathing deeply. The fire slowly grew. Aang's face was pinched with exertion, hands shaking with the heady rush of power.

A swift exhale vanquished the fire, but it left the two boys astounded. They stared at the empty space between Aang's hands, where the hope for saving the world had been not three seconds ago.

"Well, its not much," Sokka said after a time, "But its definitely a start."

"We need to get moving," Hakoda said. "We'll do a supply stop at Mazlou..it'll be inconspicuous enough. Pretty big port, lots of foreigners."

"We need more thread!" Suki called out, stirring the pot of rice. The group was gathered around the fire, waiting for their lunch. "And maybe some seasonings...the foods been pretty bland lately."

"Wait...that was food?" Toph said, pausing.

Suki sighed.

"Never would've guessed," she laughed, leaning back.

"Oh, be quiet," Suki mumbled.

The group burst out laughing, a sound becoming more and more common since the funeral. Toph started back with her snarky jokes, Sokka had the lame jokes, and the younger ones had their kiddy jokes that only they understood.

"After Mazlou we'll move on and find Haru and the rest of them," Hakoda said, oblivious to the rest of them. "And maybe we'll find Aang a firebending teacher there."

"Oh! Oh!" Sokka said, standing. "Guess what?!?!"

The group stared at him.

"Aang firebended today! It was incredible!" He waved his arms and took a big bite of rice.

"Really?" Hakoda asked.

"Yep," Sokka said. "It wasn't a bolt of lightning or anything, but it was fire!"

Aang blushed and looked away. The group all started talking at once.

"Thats wonderful!" Suki beamed.

"Nice one, Twinkletoes," Toph chuckled.

"Well, lets make some more progress," Hakoda said. "If we get started soon, we'll be to Mazlou by nightfall!"

"So I've been thinking," Iroh said, sipping his tea. "We are in need of supplies...and we're close to Mazlou..."

"Supplies does not equal tea, Uncle," Zuko sighed.

"Well...that too!" Iroh exclaimed. "Mazlou is known for its exotic tea."

"How far are we?" Katara asked, carefully clearing up the remains of breakfast.

"Only about a half days walk," Ursa calculated. "We can be there by tonight."

"Will we get caught?"

"Its a large city," Zuko said. "Lots of foreigners who trade."

"Well...we do need some more food," Katara sighed. "And the basics...thread, a new pan, some flour-"

"Tea!"

"...I don't see why we couldn't go," she finished, packing the last belongings into Zuko's bag.

_**Wow...extremely sorry for not updating! Life has been crazy :( You can all guess what happens next! Please review!**_


	14. Chapter 14

Mazlou was crowded, and humid, and full of annoying little potholes that Katara's feet seemed to be increasingly attracted to.

And it was getting dark; she had one hand wrapped tightly in Zuko's much larger one, and he was leading her through the myriad clusters of bars and trinket shops. Iroh and Ursa led the way-Iroh knew where he was going, apparently.

"The cheapest little store in town," he promised them before, as they waited along the outskirts for night to fall.

Zuko had looked at him skeptically, but said nothing.

And now they were risking breaking their ankles to get to this shop. Katara was sweating, hungry, and had been leered at far too many times by drunken old men.

Something bumped her back; she turned to give whoever it was a piece of her mind.

"Excuse me!-" She trailed off, staring into a pair of the tired, gray eyes of a young boy. He was small, and skinny, and his lips were set tight in a frown.

A chill ran up her spine as the pale boy's mouth dropped open. He stared at her, motionless.

Time slowed dramatically, as a million thoughts collided in Katara's head.

But then she felt the pressure of Zuko's hand tugging her along, her heart pounding in her throat, and she watched the pale gray-eyed boy be swallowed up into the crowd.

His knees weakened and the sour taste of vomit rose in his mouth as he watched the Katara-ghost fade.

It had been...too real. The tan of her skin, the blue of her eyes, the way her hair lay under her cape...all so familiar...

He swayed unsteadily. He was not used to having his dreams played out before him, close but too far to touch.

Tears welled up in his eyes, and he turned and ran.

He had to find the others, gain some semblance of normality. Make sure everyone else was real.

The black spool of thread was clutched tightly in his hand; it had been his job to get it, and now he had to get it back. He focused on this task, this careful holding of the thread and running back to the group, because if not he would for sure lose his mind.

The crowd began to slowly thin out as he neared the edges of town. The forest loomed before him, dark with night, but he plunged in, desperate to find the group and tell them.

"I saw her," he gasped, stumbling into the campsite. "I saw her, she was right in front of me-"

"...Saw who?" Suki asked, uncertainly.

The group was gathered around the small campfire, cooking a small pan of fresh-bought rice. Everyone was already back, and the wares were set in a small pile near the fire.

"Katara!" Aang murmured. "Katara."

Sokka sighed, staring into the fire. "No, Aang. No. You didn't see her. She's dead."

"No, she's not!" Aang countered. "She was in the market. She looked just the same as she used to but she was wearing red. I was going to talk to her but she disappeared-"

"Of course she disappeared," Sokka said, standing. "She's dead! She's not real! I don't know if this is some weird 'Spirit World' trick or whatever, but she is not alive and you don't need to pretend she is!"

He turned and stormed off into the woods, but not before a noticeable tear slid down his face.

It was then silent, with only Sokka's fading footsteps and the crackling of the fire heard.

"Umm...well, who wants some rice?" Toph forced out, breaking the uncomfortable silence. Everyone quickly dug in, using the meal as an excuse to not discuss...whatever had just happened.

Aang sat, dumbfounded. Did they really not care? Had they all really given up hope? Or was he just going crazy, disillusioned by his pain?

Sokka ran through the woods, getting hopelessly lost. But he had to get away from Aang, who had clearly lost it, and all the sadness and misery he felt.

He sat down on an old, rotted stump. It was really dark here, illuminated only by the moon light and the occasional firefly.

His breath shuddered, and he held his head in his hands. He could see the fire of a group off in the distance, but that wasn't unusual; many foreigners (and the homeless) would camp on the outskirts of the town.

Standing slowly, he started to walk toward the group, if only to give him something to do and occupy his mind.

He could hear the deep belly laugh of an old man, and them the rough voice of someone younger. They seemed to be having a playful argument about something...maybe tea? Or trees? He turned to go-he didn't want to get caught by two men who could possibly be dangerous-when the next voice brought him to his knees.

It was the high, tinkling laugh of a young girl. It was a laugh he easily recognized, as it sounded exactly like Katara.

The prospect of his sister being alive and being here in Mazlou was too much to bear.

He let out a short cry as pain surged through him. He had to be hearing things.

"...Did you hear that?" The Katara-voice asked. The group quieted, listening carefully.

Sokka clumsily rose, shaking off the dirt and leaves. He had to get out of here.

"It is good tea! High quality!" Iroh protested.

"That doesn't change how much it costs..." Zuko sighed in frustration.

The two were having yet another argument about the infamous tea. She and Ursa were unpacking the days purchases and watching the two fight.

She came to yet another package of tea, and laughed out loud. _Tea of Love_, it read. _Keep your passions ready!_

She was just about to show Ursa when a shriek came from the woods.

"...Did you hear that?" she asked.

Iroh cocked his head and gave the woods a suspicious stare. "It could have been a pirate. I did hear they have many of those here-"

"Uncle. We are in the middle of the forest. I'm sure it was an animal. I've heard they have many of those here, too."

The group had packed up early the next morning. Sokka had arrived back at camp, dazed, several hours into the night. He had not spoken a word to anyone, keeping his secret locked in tight. He knew that with a slight opening of his mouth, it would tumble out, making him seem just as deluded as Aang.

Aang had been in a closed off, dream-like state, and had steadily avoided any contact with Sokka.

No one knew quite where they were going, but all recognized the need to get away from Mazlou and its ghosts.

The stars were still high in the sky and the sun just beginning to rise as they set off, onto a dusty back road. Tang Hao was the next destination, where they would meet up with Haru and the rest of the earthbenders and hopefully find Aang a firebending teacher.

It was very silent; not even the birds were awake yet. The group plodded along tiredly, the younger ones falling asleep on Appa, who trudged along behind. It was much too dangerous to fly him in the Fire Nation, and no one wanted to take the risk of their transportation being shot down in the sky.

It was only luck (and maybe a good bit of karma) that had allowed them to sneak through the Fire Nation without being caught. Suki mused that it probably couldn't carry on for much longer.

She and Hakoda were at the front of the line, trying to keep the group in a semblance of order. The old man had kept himself together surprisingly well, keeping a level head throughout much of this ordeal.

She took in their surroundings-how different from Kyoshi! Different trees, flowers, animals, roads. She glanced down the rough expanse before them, when something caught her eye.

She could faintly make out...something heading towards them. A small, black mass, far off down the road.

Nudging Hakoda, she carefully pointed it out. No need to alarm the group.

He squinted, tired eyes searching. "Have Bato take Aang, Appa, and the children into the woods," he whispered.

Suki nodded and turned to the man following behind. "Bato?"

"Mhm?" he murmured.

"Tell Aang to take himself and Appa into the woods. Make sure all the younger ones and non-benders go too...well, leave Sokka. There's something coming this way on the road, and we don't want them here if it turns bad."

He nodded, and turned to briefly talk to Aang. The boy nodded and guided Appa into the woods, a few children following behind.

The mass was moving closer and closer; Suki could make out about four people, all in dark red clothing and hoods.

_Great...firebenders._

She could feel Hakoda bristle as the group moved forward.

They were about ten steps away when the leader looked up. He was short and portly, with a big belly. Probably some bloated merchant or smuggler-

"...Iroh?" a small voice said from behind her. The man looked up, a scared expression on his face, and nervously glanced at the group.

Toph let out a loud laugh. "I'd recognize those footsteps anywhere, old man!" And before Suki knew it, the earthbender had walked forward and hugged this 'Iroh' person.

After this, things got a little blurry.

She could remember the shortest figure glancing up. A girl, dark skin, with a worried expression plastered on her face.

A million things ran through her mind as she watched the girl's face light up in a smile so blindingly bright, she couldn't help but recognize her.

Katara.

Katara.

_Katara. _In the flesh, right before her eyes.

Katara let out a tiny shriek before throwing herself into her father's arms.

Her family! Her friends! All right here. She had finally found them, finally, on this dusty road near Mazlou. Her heart was thudding its way out of her chest as tears streaked down her cheeks.

"Dad," she cried. "Dad."

But Hakoda remained unresponsive in her arms, frozen like one of her ice statues. She felt his warm hands grasp her shoulders and pull her away at arms length.

His eyes searched her face, filled with unbelief and doubt.

"Katara?" Her father asked uncertainly, slowly. "You're not dead?"

"Dead?" She laughed. "No, dad, I'm not dead...I'm fine. Just fine."

And then her dad smiled, a sight that made her heart soar. "And this isn't a dream?"

She shook her head, but was interrupted by being pulled into a tight hug. She could feel her father shaking with sobs, which was enough to send her over the edge again.

That's how most of the reunions went; lots of unbelief and tears, joy and hugs. Sokka and Aang seemed to be snapped out of a stupor; Toph actually hugged her; the younger children looked very confused; her father just grinned; Suki looked she was going to faint; and the firebenders looked a little lost. But it was all good...they were family now. Together.

The fact that she was traveling with two of their greatest enemies didn't seem to bother them. She would have thought that Aang or Sokka would have a fit upon seeing them, but they hadn't even been acknowledged, much less attacked.

They were sitting around a campfire, even though it was already morning. Suki and Ursa were making a special stew, while everyone else was sitting and talking excitedly.

"So..." Katara started. Everyone silenced almost instantly.

"Why did you all think I was dead?"

The camp was awkwardly silent. She looked expectantly from face to face, but no one seemed to want to meet her eyes.

Finally, Sokka stepped up.

"Well...during the eclipse, we decided to break into the palace and rescue you. We went into the cells and looked for you but we couldn't find you...all we found was your dress. And a lot of blood." His voice shook near the end. "And after searching for you for a long time, and hearing nothing about you...we just kinda assumed...that you were..."

"We had a funeral for you!" The Duke piped out.

"Oh," Katara mumbled. "Umm...thanks? But you guys didn't have to worry; Zuko rescued me and-"

"What?" Sokka gasped. "What? Zuko?"

A light went off in his eyes as his gaze landed on the blushing man sitting beside Katara.

"You didn't know I was here?" Zuko asked uncertainly.

Aang did a double take. "Katara...how could you? He sided against us at Ba Sing Se and let you be taken captive-"

Sokka broke in. "And he's a firebender and a liar and a stealer and he's dangerous-"

"And he fed me while I was being starved and healed my wounds when I was being tortured and got me out of the prison!" Katara yelled, hands on hips. "He's not the same guy he used to be!"

The group was silent.

"She's not lying," Toph said quietly. "And I've known Iroh...and I know he's not a bad guy. I"m getting good vibrations from all of them..."

"He saved my life," Katara said slowly.

Sokka glared at him. "This isn't smart..."

Zuko cleared his throat. "I'll...I mean, me and my uncle will teach the Avatar firebending. Katara said that he didn't really know...and we want to help."

Aang and Sokka's eyes brightened considerably.

"Well, we did need to find Aang a firebending teacher..." Suki started.

"Don't be blind, Sokka," Toph grumbled. "You two moan about finding a teacher and then when one-no, actually, two!-show up right in front of you, you're too blind to see it! Am I really the blind one here?"

Aang sighed in defeat. "I'll give them a chance..."

"But if you try anything funny, I will kill you!" Sokka shouted, waving his boomerang in Zuko's general direction.

Zuko nodded slowly; Katara almost knew for a fact he was suppressing laughter.

"Well," Katara said, smiling. "Now that that's settled..."

"Let's celebrate with some tea!" Iroh chuckled.

_**Hello everyone! Sorry for such a long hiatus. Real life took over and I ran into some challenges with this story. I did a lot of editing to previous chapters to try to improve them, since my writing has changed. I also tried to go back and catch my mistakes in plot-like did anyone notice Appa/Momo haven't been mentioned until this chapter? Ugh! I forgot about them and am going to try and fix that. **_

_**Hopefully this chapter was everything you expected it to be-there were so many ways I could plan it, and I tried to get a little mix of everything-comedy, sadness, happiness, and more. **_

_**I want to say an extra special thank you to everyone who has reviewed so far! I never thought I would break 150. I am so honored and happy. Thank you all very, very much.**_

_**Please review!**_


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